Description: This 1981 discussion session is about public social policies and their impact on public and private retirement plans in the United States and Canada. The key issues discussed pertain to age, sex and marital status, and income level. Also discussed is the possible impact of public social policies on future trends in disability benefits, death benefits, termination benefits, and other factors in private and public retirement plans.

Description: The first objective is to highlight the key trends and projections that describe the magnitude and scope of the aging world in the 21st century. The second is to identify some of the key issues that countries in the developed and developing world will have to face as a consequence of population aging. The third objective is to emphasize the triumph and opportunities of an aging world, providing a counterpoint to the prevailing notion that the aging of societies is a catastrophe, leading only to undue burden on future generations.