%0 Report %D 2017 %T The Mortality Effects of Retirement: Evidence from Social Security Eligibility at Age 62 %A Maria D Fitzpatrick %A Moore, Timothy %K Mortality %K Population Health %K Social Security %X Social Security eligibility begins at age 62, and approximately one third of Americans immediately claim at that age. We examine whether age 62 is associated with a discontinuous change in aggregate mortality, a key measure of population health. Using mortality data that covers the entire U.S. population and includes exact dates of birth and death, we document a robust two percent increase in male mortality immediately after age 62. The change in female mortality is smaller and imprecisely estimated. Additional analysis suggests that the increase in male mortality is connected to retirement from the labor force and associated lifestyle changes. %B NBER Working Paper Series %I National Bureau of Economic Research %C Cambridge, MA %G eng %U http://www.nber.org/papers/w24127.pdf %R 10.3386/w24127 %0 Report %D 2004 %T Modeling Lifetime Earnings Paths: Hypothetical versus Actual Workers %A Olivia S. Mitchell %A John W R Phillips %A Au, Andrew %K Net Worth and Assets %K Pensions %K Social Security %X To assess the distributional effects of social security reform proposals, it is essential to have good information on real-world workers lifetime earnings trajectories. Until recently, however, policymakers have relied on hypothetical earnings profiles for policy analysis. We use actual lifetime earnings data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to compare actual workers covered earnings profiles to these hypothetical profiles. We show that the hypothetical profiles do not track earnings patterns of current retirees; thus lifetime pay levels are much higher than for most HRS workers. Therefore, using hypothetical profiles could misrepresent benefits paid and taxes collected under such reforms. %I University of Pennsylvania, Boettner Center for Pe, Pension Research Council WP 2004-3 %G eng %L wp_2004/Mitchell_etal_WP2004-3.pdf %4 Pensions/Retirement Wealth/Social Security %$ 13992