Purpose: To validate a survey research measure of subjective income, as measured by perceived income adequacy, in an international context. Design and Methods: The study population comprised persons aged 50 years and older in 12 countries from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (n = 28,939). Perceived difficulty in making ends…

Implementation of unisex pension plan allowing employers to comply with Supreme Court rulings would result in a fall in single men's pension wealth, a rise in single women's pension wealth, and change in returns to pension contributions. Offers analysis of how change to unisex plan would affect pension wealth and retirement decisions for single…

Empirical evidence of tax shelter usage is sparse. These data add weight to earlier concerns about whether tax incentives to save for retirement benefit upper-income groups more than middle- and lower-income groups and present the importance of different sources of income in providing retirement funds for this group. (Author/RC)

Describes Australia's retirement income arrangements, including age pension, private pensions, changes in provisions by the federal government, and factors that shaped changes. Notes that difficulties experienced by the government in introducing changes underscore political sensitivity of retirement income policy in Australia. (Author/NB)

Explores relationship between recent policy reforms, targeting proposals, and a universal Social Security program. Explores principles that inform Social Security, concluding that treating benefits as taxable income and raising retirement age push at boundaries of universality without violating fundamental precepts of social insurance program. (BF)

Examines responsiveness of the nominal income of older persons to price changes and compares changes in their real income to trends in real income of other groups. Data from the Retirement History Study show the elderlys' income sources were not fixed in nominal terms, but increased as prices rose. (NRB)

Explored the propensity to save among community elderly by examining their anticipated use of hypothetical $10 and $25 weekly income increments. Savings were associated with income inadequacy and security concerns; and among the more affluent, with concerns about health and financial security. (Author/ABB)

Examined average economic status of baby boom cohorts as they approach retirement using data on their life cycle income experience. Findings suggest that baby boomers are likely to enter old age in better economic position than preboom cohorts because of deferred marriages, reduced childbearing, and increased labor force participation of wives…

Recent policy proposals have introduced need-based criteria, as well as the principle of wealthier older persons paying greater taxes or sharing more heavily in financing services and benefits than those who have less income and accumulated wealth. This article reviews emergence of new approaches and concludes with commentary on political…

Examined partial retirement among older self-employed and wage and salary workers. Found much more partial retirement among the self-employed. Retirement status was correlated with health, age, Social Security and pension eligibility, and wealth. Suggests workers might choose part-time employment if opportunities were available. (Author/JAC)