2/7/2006: WP Abstract: Importance of Default Options for Retirement Savings Outcomes: Evidence from the U.S. (National Bureau of Economic Research [NBER])

Excerpt: This paper summarizes the empirical evidence on how defaults impact retirement savings outcomes. After outlining the salient features of the various sources of retirement income in the U.S., the paper presents the empirical evidence on how defaults impact retirement savings outcomes at all stages of the savings lifecycle, including savings plan participation, savings rates, asset allocation, and post-retirement savings distributions.