Weāve been exploring the state of retirement in the United States on The Long View. Last week, we talked with progressive labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci. On this weekās episode, we chatted with Andrew Biggs, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is more sanguine about the state of retirement in the U.S., though he is also in favor of some reforms. Andrew is an expert on Social Security reform, state and local government pensions, and public sector pay and benefits. Before joining AEI, Biggs was the principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration, where he oversaw the agency's policy research efforts. In 2005, as an associate director of the White House National Economic Council, he worked on Social Security reform. In 2001, he joined the staff of then-President George W. Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security. He holds a bachelor's degree from Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, master's degrees from Cambridge University and the University of London, and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.
Background
The American Enterprise Institute
State of Retirement in the U.S.
The Model of Income in the Near Term (MINT)
National Retirement Risk Index
āSocial Security Replacement Rates and Other Benefit Measures: An In-Depth Analysis,ā Congressional Budget Office, cbo.gov, April 2019.
āHow Do Children Affect the Need to Save for Retirement?ā by Andrew Biggs, aei.org, Dec. 16, 2019.
āTwo Decades Ago, Progressives Warned of a Retirement Crisis. It Didnāt Happen,ā by Andrew Biggs, forbes.com, May 29, 2020.
āOpinion: Hereās Some Good News for Parents Struggling to Save Enough for Retirement,ā by Andrew Biggs, marketwatch.com, Jan. 26, 2020.
āImproving the Measurement of Retirement Income of the Aged Population,ā by Irena Dushi and Brad Trenkamp, ssa.gov, January 2021.
āAt Last, Some Action on Misleading Retirement Income Statistics,ā by Andrew Biggs, aei.org, April 29, 2021.
Social Security
āStatus of the Social Security and Medicare Programs: A Summary of the 2020 Annual Reports,ā ssa.gov.
āObama Appoints Social Security Critic to Fix Puerto Ricoās Budget,ā by David Dayen, theintercept.com, Aug. 31, 2016.
āSocial Security Benefits Arenāt Earned If You Didnāt Pay for Them,ā by Andrew Biggs, forbes.com, March 12, 2020.
āAmericans Want to Own Their Retirement, not Expand Social Security,ā by Andrew Biggs, realclearmarkets.com, June 19, 2020.
āFactcheck: Do 40% of Retirees Rely on Social Security for Their Entire Income?ā by Andrew Biggs, forbes.com, Jan. 27, 2020.
āPWBM Budget Contest: A Flat Benefit for Social Security,ā by Andrew Biggs, budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu, Jan. 26, 2021.
āSocial Security Reform Can Boost the Economy--or Hold it Back,ā Andrew Biggs, Washingtonexaminer.com, March 26, 2021.
Retirement Savings and Decumulation
āHow Generous Are Federal Employee Pensions?ā by Andrew Biggs, aei.org, Sept. 30, 2011.
āCan Retirement Saving Increase Your Debt?ā by Andrew Biggs, forbes.com, Jan. 8, 2018.
āHow Hard Should We Push the Poor to Save for Retirement?ā by Andrew Biggs, aei.org, May 6, 2019.
āOpinion: Stop Pushing Poor People to Save More for Retirement,ā by Andrew Biggs, marketwatch.com, Sept. 12, 2019.
āFactcheck: Will Half of Americans Over 55 Retire Poor?ā by Andrew Biggs, forbes.com, Oct. 8, 2020.
āFollow the Facts: Employer-Based Retirement Savings Are Stronger Than Ever,ā by Andrew Biggs, forbes.com, Aug. 21. 2020.
āOpinion: Now That Annuities Can Be Part of Your 401(k), Hereās How to Make Them More Palatable,ā by Andrew Biggs, marketwatch.com, Jan. 11, 2020.