Abandoning the Nest Egg? 401(K) Plans and Inadequate Pension Saving

40 Pages Posted: 5 Nov 1996 Last revised: 19 Sep 2022

See all articles by Andrew A. Samwick

Andrew A. Samwick

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Jonathan S. Skinner

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: May 1996

Abstract

There has been rapid growth in `self-directed' pension programs such as the 401(k) plan. Because such plans are voluntary, there is concern that many workers neglecting to contribute will reach retirement with inadequate pension saving. First, we show that people who are eligible for 401(k)s, do not contribute to them, and have no alternative pension plan make up only 2-4 percent of the workforce. By contrast, nearly 50 percent of workers have no pension coverage at all. Imposing mandatory 3 percent or 5 percent contribution rates will improve retirement prospects among the lowest decile of pension- eligible, but would have small aggregate effects. Finally, restricting 401(k) withdrawals when the worker changes jobs could have a larger impact on retirement pension security.

Suggested Citation

Samwick, Andrew A. and Skinner, Jonathan S., Abandoning the Nest Egg? 401(K) Plans and Inadequate Pension Saving (May 1996). NBER Working Paper No. w5568, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3523

Andrew A. Samwick (Contact Author)

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics ( email )

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Jonathan S. Skinner

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics ( email )

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United States
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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United States
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