Retirement At Age 55 With 30 Years Service

In response to a congressional request, GAO prepared information on retirement programs in the nonfederal sector by estimating the levels of benefits at retirement that selected nonfederal programs provide to employees by age, years of service, and salary levels. GAO found that benefit formulas for nonfederal pension plans vary considerably; therefore, it calculated the benefit amounts produced by the formulas as a percentage of final salary. GAO found little difference in the average pension plan benefits available to retirees at age 65 and age 62 when years of service and salary levels were equal. Pension plan benefits for employees retiring at age 55 with 30 years of service ranged from 72 to 84 percent of the benefits they would have received if they had retired at age 62 with the same years of service and salary levels. In state government pension plans, age 55 benefits were about 85 percent of the benefit amounts at age 62 with the same years of service and salary levels. In addition, GAO found that state government pension plans provided higher average benefits than private sector pension plans. Finally, GAO found that the capital accumulation plan component of a typical private sector retirement program can add substantial retirement benefits to participating employees. A 30-year career employee who contributes to the plan can supplement his pension and social security benefits by 16 percent or more of his final annual salary. Since states generally do not match employee contributions in their plans, GAO did not calculate any thrift plans for them. Therefore, the combined benefits for state employees were less than those received by private sector employees who participate in thrift plans.

The United States is in the midst of a major demographic shift. In the coming decades, people aged 65 and over will make up an increasingly large percentage of the population: The ratio of people aged 65+ to people aged 20-64 will rise by 80%. This shift is happening for two reasons: people are living longer, and many couples are choosing to have fewer children and to have those children somewhat later in life. The resulting demographic shift will present the nation with economic challenges, both to absorb the costs and to leverage the benefits of an aging population. Aging and the Macroeconomy: Long-Term Implications of an Older Population presents the fundamental factors driving the aging of the U.S. population, as well as its societal implications and likely long-term macroeconomic effects in a global context. The report finds that, while population aging does not pose an insurmountable challenge to the nation, it is imperative that sensible policies are implemented soon to allow companies and households to respond. It offers four practical approaches for preparing resources to support the future consumption of households and for adapting to the new economic landscape.