When I'm Sixty-Four

The Plot against Pensions and the Plan to Save Them

by Teresa Ghilarducci

Princeton UP, 2008

ISBN: 9780691114316
Pages: 384

Category: Economics & Politics

In this summary you will learn

• Why retirement is under attack
• Why U.S. companies have substituted “defined contribution” pension plans for “defined benefit” plans
• How “Guaranteed Retirement Accounts” could ensure safe retirements for U.S. workers

Why you should read When I'm Sixty-Four

For many Americans, the dream of a safe, secure retirement has become a cruel joke. Elderly people without pensions find themselves trying to squeeze by on Social Security as they work part time for minimum wage serving hamburgers or greeting customers at discount stores. Some have money saved, but the overall U.S. savings rate is way down. For most workers, reliable pensions are becoming a thing of the past, just as costs are rising. Pension expert Teresa Ghilarducci explains that Social Security is under threat, even though many retirees have no other source of income. What is to be done? At this point, Ghilarducci stops analyzing and starts recommending. Americans need a bold, new government program offering “Guaranteed Retirement Accounts” (GRAs). She asserts that – given a burst of radical change – this idea can provide safe, secure incomes for U.S. elders. getAbstract finds that even though some readers might dispute her political conclusions and the fine points of her alternative plan, Ghilarducci cares passionately about retirement policy and provokes a meaningful conversation for those who hope for a dignified retirement.

About the Author

Teresa Ghilarducci is director of the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis at The New School for Social Research. She is an expert on retirement reform.

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