"When last July Harkin announced legislation to make 'bold changes to the private retirement system and Social Security' the changes were minor. Employers who don't offer a 401(k) plan would have to set up a retirement plan in which employers would have to make 'modest contributions' to employee accounts. Our employer contribution rate is a fraction of that of other countries; for example it's 9 percent in Australia, nearly 12 percent in Denmark, 8 percent in Hungary, 6.5 percent in Mexico and 7.3 percent in Poland. Why simply require employers with no plan to offer an even less generous plan?"  MORE >>