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Get the Facts

The Pension Rights Center has written numerous fact sheets, newsletters, pamphlets and books to promote public awareness of pension issues, and to help workers and retirees understand their pension plans and the laws and regulations that govern them. There are also many publications published by other organizations that provide helpful information about retirement programs.

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Why Pensions Are Important

This fact sheet explains the role pensions play in the overall retirement security of American workers, retirees, and their families.

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Income of Today’s Older Adults

As concern about the adequacy of the nation's retirement income programs moves to the forefront of public debate, policymakers and the public are looking to statistics to argue for or against the need for reform. Because there is a wide range of data from a variety of sources, the statistics can be confusing.

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How Much Is Saved in 401(k)s

Increasingly, retirement savings plans have become the way American workers accumulate the money they will need to supplement their Social Security payments in retirement.

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Fact Sheets (View All)

The facts about church pension plans

The facts about church pension plans

Almost all private retirement plans are required to comply with federal pension and tax laws. There is only one major exception: Church pension plans. Employees covered by church pension plans are denied the basic protections provided to virtually all other private-sector workers who participate in pension plans.

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Corporate Restructuring Can Cut Promised Pensions

Legally, companies can change their plans to end special early retirement pensions, but if they do, employees must still get the portion of the special benefit they have earned as of the date of the change – as long as they later meet its age and/or service requirements.

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Lost Pensions in Australia

Sometimes when workers change jobs, they later cannot find the pension plan of their former employer when they are eligible to receive benefits. This problem can occur, for example, if their former firm changes its name or moves to a new location.

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Reports (View All)

Retirement on the Edge: Women,Men, and Economic Insecurity After the Great Recession

Retirement on the Edge shows Americans are under enormous financial stress and are worried about their retirement years. The survey findings also show resounding support for Social Security and Medicare across lines of gender, age, race/ethnicity, and party affiliation.

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Decisions, Decisions: Retirement Plan Choices for Public Employees and Employers

A new study of the retirement plan choice in the public sector finds that defined benefit (DB) pensions are strongly preferred over 401(k)-type defined contribution (DC) individual accounts.

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Retirement and Health Poll: Topline

One in four retirees think life in retirement is worse than it was before they retired, according to a poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health released today. The poll shows stark differences between what pre-retirees think retirement will be like, and what retirees say is actually the case.

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Books (View All)

Longevity Policy: Facing Up to Longevity Issues Affecting Social Security, Pensions, and Older Workers

Turner argues that public policy should recognize longevity policy as a distinct policy area. Rather than separately treating issues raised by life expectancy (e.g., Social Security, pensions, older workers), a unified approach should be developed that recognizes their interrelationship.

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The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974: A Political History

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974: A Political History, by James A. Wooten, 2005.

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Saving Social Security: A Balanced Approach (Revised Edition)

Saving Social Security: A Balanced Approach (Revised Edition), by Peter A. Diamond and Peter R. Orszag, 2005.

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