Description: Discussion of the need to understand the implications of demographic and family diversity for the design of retirement programs. The design of retirement programs is a design of programs for the elderly, who are more often women, because women live longer and because their work histories often lead to reduced levels of pension and social security benefits.

Description: This is a discussion of the 1950 amendments to the Social Security Act. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1951, Vol. 3, No. 7.

Description: Continuation- Part 3 of a three part panel discussion about social insurance, focusing on Canada. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1962, Vol. 14 Pt. 2

Description: This paper summarizes the legislative history of the several amendments during 1962-65, with emphasis on the significant 1965 ones affecting both OASDI and Public Assistance. Also covered are the recommendations in the fields of OASDI and Hospital Insurance that were made by the Advisory Council on Social Security in 1963-64.

Description: In Canada, there are three main sources of government-provided retirement income: 1. The Canada/Quebec Pension Plan [C/QPP], which have benefits and contributions based on earnings up to the Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings, 2. Old Age Security [OAS], which is a fixed amount for most but does include a 'clawback' of benefits for high-income individuals, and 3. The Guaranteed Income Supplement [GIS], which is designed to supplement those with extremely low income. The annual GIS benefit is reduced, or clawed back, by 50 cents for every dollar of annual income the person has in retirement, including C/QPP and income from Registered Retirement Savings Plans [RRSP] and other savings. OAS benefits are not included in determining the GIS clawback. The result of this is that low-income individuals who attempt to enhance their retirement replacement ratio actually see a decrease in government-provided support the more they save for retirement. In fact, savings in an RRSP can effectively be taxed at more than 100% through corresponding reductions in the GIS, social housing, home care, GAINS [Ontario's Guaranteed Annual Income Supplement], and other benefits which are based on one's personal retirement income. This paper explores a basic GIS exemption, a GIS clawback rate of lower than 50%, and various combinations of the two as alternative policies for the GIS. The goal is to improve the fairness of the GIS and reduce the disincentive to save for retirement, without increasing the overall cost of the program significantly.

Description: Feature article from the January 2010 issue of In The Public Interest discussing whether or not the retirement age needs to be increased.

Description: This is a digest of three separate isues: First, discussion examines social security in the United States and recent developments shaping its future. Second topic, Fourth Pacific Insurance Conference for countries of the Pacific rim and Third, current legislative developments. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1969, Vol. 21, Pt. 2. No. 59 AB.

Description: This paper looks at different ways to think about the economic relationships within the family and relate them to various ways of providing for retirement security within a Social Security and employer framework.

Description: This 1981 discussion session is about 1. Proposals to reorient Social Security to encourage later retirement, 2. The impact of later retirement on employers, employees, pension programs and insurers, 3. The desirability, practicality and equity of requiring later retirement, 4. The problems of funding disability-related early retirement, and 5. Alternative approaches to bringing the long-range benefits and revenues of Social Security into equilibrium.

Description: From the 1960 Transactions Vol. 12 No. 32, this ‘Digest of Informal Discussion’ addresses current developments and proposals with respect to Social Security legislation in the United States and Canada, and individual retirement legislation.