Many policy makers and economists argue that financial literacy is key to financial well-being. But why do many individuals remain financially illiterate despite the apparent importance of being financially informed? This paper presents results of a field study linking individual decisions to...

Many people fail to save for retirement, opting to spend money and consume in the present. Previous work has largely focused on highlighting the long-term benefits that savings can have for the individual. Instead, we test a novel intervention that that frames retirement savings as a way to...

This paper uses data from the largest tax preparer in the United States to estimate the impact of the "saver's credit," aUSfederal program providing financial incentives to encourage retirement savings, on the decision to contribute to an IRA. It finds significant, but very modest, effects. This...

This study utilizes a nationally representative proprietary dataset to examine the annuitization decisions of retirees. The results indicate that consulting a financial advisor, retirement duration, and risk aversion are positive predictors of annuity ownership. The results also indicate that...

An approach for designing a menu of comprehensive income products for retirement (CIPRs) is proposed and demonstrated. The approach entails for steps: defining and characterising member types based on selected attributes; specifying a utility function to capture the objectives and preferences of...

The U.S. has long incentivized retirement saving in 401(k) and similar retirement accounts by permitting workers to defer taxes on contributions, levying them instead when retirees withdraw funds in retirement. This paper develops a dynamic life-cycle model to show how and whether...

Both policymakers and members of the public are concerned regarding the adequacy of U.S. households' retirement savings. In response, proposals have been made to expand Social Security benefits and to establish state government-run retirement plans for private sector employees. In both cases,...

In a rich, calibrated life-cycle model, we show that well-designed mandatory pension plans significantly improve the welfare of individuals procrastinating on savings or not investing in stocks, and even improve rational individuals' welfare through a return tax advantage and fair annuitization....

We evaluate retirement savings adequacy using a large panel of U.S. workers with a 401(k) account. We model medical expenditures, longevity, investment risk, and the likelihood of withdrawals due to hardship, job separation, and reaching age 59 1/2. Based on their current account balances,...

In an online experiment with more than 2,000 participants, we measure consistency of time preference and study actual and planned retirement timing decisions. Theory predicts that hyperbolic time preferences can lead to dynamically inconsistent retirement timing. We find that time inconsistent...