Individual Account Retirement Plans: An Analysis of the 2001 Survey of Consumer Finances

Abstract

This Issue Brief updates the work done on previous versions of the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) with results from the 2001 SCF, which provides the most recent estimates of Americans' entire portfolio of wealth. The SCF not only includes levels of participation in all employment-based retirement plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) by families, but also the amount in these accounts. In addition, it has data on families' total assets (not just retirement assets), so the level of importance that these plans represent can be determined.

Keywords: Demographics, Employment-based Benefits, Pension Plan Assets, Pension Plan Participation, Retirement Plans, Wealth

JEL Classification: D31, H31