num_pages: 272
description: As the baby boom begins to withdraw from the labor force, ensuring a secure retirement income becomes an increasingly important issue. The number of people over age 65 is expected to double by 2030. That trend will continue, accompanied by worries about stock market volatility, corporate malfeasance, a rapidly changing economy, and the viability of Social Security. In Coming Up Short, two experts on retirement policy analyze 401(k) plans, the fastest-growing type of employer-sponsored pensions and a vital source of retirement income for the American middle class.Alicia Munnell and Annika Sunden chronicle the development of 401(k) plans, now the dominant form of private pensions. In accessible language, they explain how such plans work and discuss their popularity. For employees, these plans are appealing because they have more control over their own retirement funds, and the plans are portable. For employers, the plans are generally less costly than defined benefit plans.
language: English
title: Coming Up Short: The Challenge of 401(K) Plans
titlecomplete: Coming Up Short: The Challenge of 401(K) Plans
ratings_count: 1
publisher: Brookings Inst Pr