Policy Statement on Social Security

The Financial Economists Roundtable (FER) is a group of senior financial economists who have made significant contributions to the finance literature and seek to apply their knowledge to current policy debates. The Roundtable focuses on microeconomic issues in investments, corporate finance, and financial institutions and markets, both in the United States and internationally. Its major objective is to create a forum for intellectual interaction that promotes in depth analyses of current policy issues in order to raise the level of public and private policy debate and improve the quality of policy decisions. FER was founded in 1993 and meets annually. Members attending an FER meeting discuss specific policy issues on which statements may be adopted. When a statement is issued, it reflects a consensus among the majority of the attending members and is signed by all members supporting it. The statements are intended to increase the awareness and understanding of public policy makers, the financial economics profession, the communications media, and the general public. FER statements are distributed to relevant policy makers and the media. The following statement on "Social Security" was discussed at FER's annual meeting in July 1997 and released on March 31, 1998