Examines post-retirement benefit increases in 76 large state pension plans and the impact of such increases on the purchasing power and adequacy of pension benefits. Although nearly all plans increased benefits for retirees, increases were much less than needed to maintain the purchasing power of pension benefits. (Author/JAC)

Presents highlights of the Labor Department's study on raising the mandatory retirement age. Discusses the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA) and its short-run and long-run impacts, employees' knowledge of ADEA, and the relationship between mandatory retirement rules and pension plans. (Author/CT)

Today, the work force is employed in different industries, retiring earlier, and living longer, factors not always considered in design of retirement benefits. Changes in pension plans need to recognize increasing job mobility, inflation over a longer retirement period, and trends in personal savings. (SK)

Between 1965 and 1975, over 500 community colleges opened across the United States. Thirty-five years later, the founding faculty has begun to retire. This study was designed to reveal the experiences of veteran community college faculty as they left their teaching role. The study examined the role exit experience of faculty, comparing the…

In order to test the hypothesis that retirement would be particularly stressful for this highly motivated cohort, forty retired members of Israeli kibbutzim (22 men, 18 women) were interviewed in an open-ended fashion, concerning their early history, their decision to join the kibbutz, their working life, and their post-retirement adaptation.…

To determine if the adult lives of intellectually talented dropouts and high school graduates share commonalities, or if giftedness can help overcome the obstacles associated with not having a high school diploma, the authors looked at significant categories such as the attainment of education, employment, and certain aspects of their private…

The Social Security Trustees project that the Social Security program faces longterm financing difficulties. Several proposals that have been offered to shore-up the finances of the Social Security program would create individual retirement accounts funded with part of the payroll tax. The authors of many of these proposals claim that future…

Although baby boomers were not the sole focus of the American Association of Retired Persons' (AARP) website content on the issue of Social Security reform, their interests were addressed in a variety of ways. AARP provided information, position statements, a live chat forum, and message boards. Additionally, AARP had a partnership with the Rock…

Purpose: This article investigates how older Americans leave their career jobs and estimates the extent of intermediate labor force activity (bridge jobs) between full-time work on a career job and complete labor-force withdrawal. Design and Methods: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we explored the work histories and retirement…

This analysis of retirement planning and early retirement incentive plans in Illinois community colleges was drawn from a study of early retirement plans at each of the state's 39 community colleges, and a follow-up survey to clarify information in the documents and determine colleges' plans for the future. After introductory comments on the issue…

This report details the findings of a national project on union retirees and retirement programs. Chapter I provides an introduction and discusses the history of the project, project design, and structure of the report. In Chapter II, the study of union retirees is detailed and a comprehensive data base of information on union retirees is…

This essay attempts to do the following: first, offer a definition of early retirement in order to establish boundaries for the discussion. Second, sketch some of the background and reasons why early retirement may be desirable; also it suggests why early retirement might not always be a constructive practice. Then the essay turns to the main…

A life cycle perspective is used in this study to develop and test a model suggesting that events occuring early in the worker's life, and often beyond his control (e.g., choice of parents), influence the control over labor force withdrawal and the retirement incomes of very early retirees. (CT)

Examined preretirement planning in 126 people living in households with respondents in the 45 to 64 age group and not yet retired. Found the importance of pensions and independent sources of income were predictive of the importance of preretirement planning. Found women considered it less important than men to plan for retirement. (ABL)

Finds a broad range of college reactions to the needs of retirees. Formulates a "model program" of services, benefits, and perks--beyond pensions--colleges should be expected to give to retired faculty. (RS)