Description: There is no silver bullet to improving retirement income outcomes for retirees. However, a combination of changes can be of significant value in addressing this overlooked issue. Although QLACs on the surface have potential value, they are not nearly as efficient as they could be. So far, employer plans have provided limited options for retirement income solutions. IRAs may not cost effectively serve the best interest of retirees. Employer plans should be encouraged to become retirement income providers and alternative approaches should be considered. The current prohibition on allowing plans to modify benefit payouts based on mortality experience should be reconsidered to allow for innovative plan income designs. Improvements to the deaccumulation stage of the retiree nest egg are challenging yet necessary.

Description: An interview with actuary Lee Gold reveals preliminary results of a recent SOA research project which surveyed employees on what retirement plan features they prefer.

Description: This article provides a perspective on the SOA’s Aging and Retirement research reports, and on the types of research that are included. The SOA does a lot of research on different retirement topics, and many people are not aware of the scope of this work. This article offers an overview of the big picture as we think about the future. The article describes longer-term challenges to the US retirement system and recent developments that have affected the system and created uncertainty. It provides an overview of what individuals have said about retirement and their view of post-retirement risks and planning in a variety of consumer research studies. It then reviews some of the research and provides information on summary reports which provide insight on the findings from multiple related research reports. It also provides information about consumer education and what is currently available and in process. It then focuses on how the SOA is helping retirement professionals understand current and expected change and discusses areas of uncertainty as we help those we serve deal with change.

Description: An interview of the winning co authors of the SOA essay contest on how differences in wealth and retirement outcomes are experienced by people of different races and ethnicities and to promote a better understanding of the underlying issues surrounding the differences.

Description: Brief discussion of highlights of past Living to 100 Research Symposia, urging readers to attend 2023 symposium

Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) and Stanford Center on Longevity released a report exploring the feasibility of implementing the “Spend Safely in Retirement Strategy.

Description: This article focuses on personal experiences and observations, what risk managers say about emerging risks, how climate and emerging risks fit into the bigger retirement picture for the individual, and how they affect actuaries and plan sponsors. During the last few years, there has been an increasing concern about the impact of emerging risks and about concerns about them. Climate change is a top emerging risk. At the end of 2022, climate change was highlighted in the news as a major concern. At the 2022 annual meeting of the SOA, it was clear that actuaries accepted the importance of climate change and the need to think about how it affected many areas of practice. It is however clear that disruption can also come from other emerging risks. This article focuses on the broader picture of emerging risks but with more detail about climate change. It looks at the issues through SOA research, personal experience and other data to provide a big picture insight into these risks and retirement security.

Description: The Society of Actuaries and the Retirement Income Institute, a project of the Alliance for Lifetime Income, are partnering to explore ideas and thoughts on identifying current and alternative means of achieving and measuring retirement income adequacy. In issuing this call for essays, the organizations aim to gather perspectives, opinions and data on how to advance the state of effective retirement planning to assist individuals, actuaries, financial advisors, employers and other stakeholders.