Retirement at Risk: New Ideas for an Uncertain Future

The Outthinking Investor

In the middle of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt spearheaded the creation of Social Security, forever changing the US retirement system and how Americans think about long-term savings. Only a few pensions existed at the time, and Social Security was the first government-backed program to provide for the basic welfare of all seniors. The retirement landscape in the US—and around the world—has no doubt undergone massive change since the days of FDR. DC plans have significantly improved the retirement outlook, and an estimated 54.3% of American families now participate in some form of retirement plan such as a 401(k) or IRA, according to a 2022 survey by the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, seniors still rely on Social Security payments, yet the Congressional Budget Office has forecast that Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance Trust Fund will be depleted in 2033.

Building retirement security for generations to come will require not only a solution to the Social Security funding crisis, but continued support for the broader retirement savings system. How can policymakers address Social Security’s challenges without weakening private retirement savings?

In this episode, The Outthinking Investor speaks to three experts about retirement readiness, how governments and employers alike help workers save for retirement, and policy prescriptions for the challenges that lie ahead. Our guests are Dennis Simmons, Executive Director of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefits Assets (CIEBA); Andrew Biggs, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration; and Mike Miller, Head of PGIM DC Solutions.

To cultivate rich conversations around complex investment topics, The Outthinking Investor features speakers with diverse points of view. Participating on the podcast does not imply endorsement of other speaker's opinions, nor does PGIM necessarily endorse the opinions of its external guests.

To hear more from PGIM, tune into our new podcast, Speaking of Alternatives, hosted by Eric Adler, President and CEO of PGIM Private Alternatives. Speaking of Alternatives is available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, and other podcast platforms. Explore our entire collection of podcasts at PGIM.com.