Automatic: Changing the Way America Saves

The past 25 years have brought a dramatic shift in America’s pension system away from defined benefit plans and toward individual account savings arrangements such as 401(k) plans and IRAs. As a result, workers have been forced to assume increased responsibility to prepare for their own retirement and greater risk from managing their retirement accounts. In this changing retirement landscape, the authors call for new tools and strategies to help retirees manage these risks and better prepare for their retirement. Automatic argues for a fresh approach to increase saving, simplify retirement planning, and help manage the risks associated with today’s individual account environment.