Wharton-SMU Research Centre

Guest Speaker:

Professor Olivia S. Mitchell
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor; Professor of Insurance and Risk Management and Business and Public Policy
Executive Director, Pension Research Council; Director, Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Date & Venue:
Date: 24 January 2008, Thursday
Time: 4.00pm - 5.30pm
Venue: Executive Seminar Room 4.2, Level 4
Administrative Building, Singapore Management University
81 Victoria Street, Singapore 188065
( Location Map )

Topic:
Baby Boomer Retirement Security: The Roles of Planning, Financial Literacy, and Housing Wealth

Abstract:
This paper compares wealth holdings across two cohorts of the Health and Retirement Study: the early Baby Boomers surveyed in 2004, and individuals in the same age group but born more than a decade earlier. We find that levels and patterns of total net worth have changed relatively little over time, though Boomers will rely more on housing equity than their predecessors. Most importantly, "planners" in both cohorts approached retirement with much higher wealth levels and display higher financial literacy than "non-planners." Instrumental variable estimates show that planning behavior can explain the differences in savings and why some people near retirement with very little or no wealth.

Registration:
Seats are limited and on first come first served basis.
Click here to register.

Registration closes on Monday, January 21, 2008.
Light refreshment will be provided after the seminar.

Enquiries:
Ms. Dione Ng
Email: dioneng@smu.edu.sg , Tel: 6828-0803
Ms. Lim Lih Yeng
Email: lylim@smu.edu.sg , Tel: 6828-0197
Ms. Rozana Bte Osman
Email: rozanaosman@smu.edu.sg , Tel: 6828-0802