January 2017

2016 SBST report

By Social and Behavioral Sciences Team - Last September, President Obama issued an Executive Order directing Federal agencies to integrate behavioral-science insights—research insights about how people make decisions and act on them—into the design of their policies and programs. The Executive Order also charged the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST), a cross-agency group of applied behavioral scientists, program officials, and policymakers, with providing policy guidance and advice to Federal agencies in support of this directive. The Social and Behavioral Sciences...

Longevity Annuity: An Annuity for Everyone?

By Jason S. Scott - As of 2005, individuals had an estimated $7.4 trillion invested in IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement accounts. Given these investments, many retirees will face the difficult problem of turning a pool of assets into a stream of retirement income. Purchasing an immediate annuity is a common recommendation for retirees looking to maximize retirement spending. However, the vast majority of retirees are unwilling to annuitize all of their assets. This paper demonstrates that a new type of...