Social Security Catch-Up Contributions

RELAB POLICY NOTE

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Older workers have not been able to save adequately for retirement.


The median retirement savings balance for older workers is only $15,000. This note outlines catch-up contributions, a proposal that would enable workers to purchase extra benefits through Social Security. Catch-up contributions alone cannot solve the problem of inadequate retirement savings, but they mitigate systemic shortcomings of 401(k)- and IRA-based savings programs.

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Older Black Workers Face More Risk in Economic Downturns

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Social Unions Needed to Prevent Damage from Financial Crises