AN NBER PUBLICATION
ISSUE: No. 1, March 2012
The Bulletin on Aging & Health
The recent economic crisis has generated renewed interest in understanding the effects of economic downturns on individuals' well-being. One notable and now well-established fact is that mortality rates rise during periods of economic expansion and fall during recessions. While theories abound, the causes of this association are not yet well understood.
In The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Understanding Pro-Cyclical Mortality (NBER Working Paper 17657), researchers...
Article
The Great Recession that began in late 2007 was marked by sharp downturns in U.S. stock, housing, and labor markets. While these events would be expected to negatively affect households in all age groups, households that are approaching retirement age may be particularly vulnerable. Older households who have seen their retirement nest egg diminish in value have little time to increase saving. Postponing retirement may be an option for some who are still working, but will be...
Article
The Baby Boomers have begun to reach retirement age. For the oldest boomers in particular, the window to accumulate retirement savings is closing (if not already closed), and attention is now shifting to how boomers are using their savings in retirement. The baby boom generation is of interest not only because of its size, but also because it may be the first for which personal retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s could play an important role in retirement financial...