Description: This session discusses current trends in retirement decision making, retirement incentives, the impact of conditions in the local and national economy on a person's decision to retire. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 27, No. 1, Session

Description: This report presents the results of six focus groups with retirees who have at least $100,000 of investable assets and must depend on that money to maintain their lifestyles because they do not have sufficient amounts of annuitized income from Social Security and defined benefit plans to meet all of their expenses. The purpose of the focus groups was to gain an understanding of how current retirees approach key financial decisions about managing their money in retirement. The benefits of this qualitative study are multidisciplinary. It can help: 1. actuaries design better retirement financial systems, 2. the financial services industry understand areas of misperception and causes of poor management, and 3. provide policy-makers an understanding of how to drive public policy goals.

Description: This table is an analysis of engagement among adults age 55 and older. Engagement is defined as time spent in paid work, formal volunteering informal volunteering and caregiving activities.

Description: As the retirement system has shifted to a greater focus on defined contribution plans and personal responsibility, post-reitrement risk management has grown in importance. This report covers the study of the process of retirement.

Description: This essay explores the role that the emerging defined contribution retirement system may be playing in the growth of wealth inequality in the United States. The current system leaves many Americans with little or no retirement savings. Those with higher accumulation levels appear to invest proportionally more in equities, which may have an exponential effect of balances over long time periods. The author hypothesizes that willingness to take investment risk involves the relationship between the amount an investor has accumulated and what she/he needs in order to cover basic costs of living. This is one reason that investors with greater accumulation levels may be able to earn higher rates of return. The essay concludes by suggesting that the U.S. defined contribution system should include all workers and provide additional fiduciary guidance. Examples reforms, both in the U.S. and other countries, are provided.

Description: This table is an analysis of engagement among adults age 55 and older by health status. Engagement is defined as time spent in paid work, formal volunteering informal volunteering and caregiving activities.

Description: This article summarizes a series of surveys that explore how the public perceives retirement risks and manages related financial resources. It also provides examples of conflicting perceptions and behavior related to retirement and how retirees manage assets in retirement.

Description: The SOA Research Institute tasked the Workforce Science Institute to investigate how retirement benefit plans can affect a plan sponsor’s workforce and business results. The following is an interview with Rick Guzzo and Haig Nalbantian co-founders of the Workforce Science Institute who are the researchers on this project. The interview gives a helicopter view of the project as well as provides some “food for thought” on how retirement plans can be designed to produce an effective workforce.

Description: This article presents highlights from a Roundtable Discussion held at the 2008 Annual Conference of the National Academy of Social Insurance - NASI. Some issues discussed are the results of the SOA 2007 Survey on the Risks and Process of Retirement, the phases of retirement and the changes during retirement as a function of changing health and capability, age, changing family status and employment status.

Description: Transcript of a round table discussion on Housing in Retirement.