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<h3>Social Security Bulletin, <abbr title="Volume">Vol.</abbr>&nbsp;72, <abbr title="Number">No.</abbr>&nbsp;2</h3>
<div class="releaseDate">(released May 2012)</div>
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<p><a href="/policy/docs/ssb/v72n2/ssb-v72n2.pdf" title="Download entire publication as PDF">Download entire publication</a></p>
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<div><a href="/policy/docs/ssb/v72n2/v72n2p1.html">The Sensitivity of Proposed Social Security Benefit Formula Changes to Lifetime Earnings Definitions</a></div>
<div class="authors"><div class="float-right"><img src="/policy/images/icons/info-22.png" alt="Information icon" style="display:inline;height:1.1em;margin-bottom:.25em"> <i><a href="/policy/docs/ssb/v72n2/v72n2p1.html#errataBox">Errata</a></i></div> by Hilary Waldron</div>
<p>Several Social Security proposals have included benefit formula changes that apply to earners above a specified percentage of the combined male and female (unisex) lifetime earnings distribution. This study finds that if Social Security's median unisex average indexed monthly earnings (<abbr>AIME</abbr>) amount is used to define an earnings threshold below which benefits will be held unreduced, the percentage of fully insured men subject to benefit reductions (70&nbsp;percent) will exceed the unisex estimate of the population subject to benefit reductions (50&nbsp;percent) by 20&nbsp;percentage points. If policymakers wish to adjust future benefits and focus benefit reductions on middle or high primary or full-time wage earners in a household, the male, rather than unisex, <abbr>AIME</abbr> would come closer to achieving such a goal.</p>
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<div class="ssbArticle">
<div><a href="/policy/docs/ssb/v72n2/v72n2p23.html">The Implications of Marital History Change on Women's Eligibility for Social Security Wife and Widow Benefits, <span class="nobr">1990&ndash;2009</span></a></div>
<div class="authors">by Howard M. Iams and Christopher R. Tamborini</div>
<p>Social Security retirement-age benefits in the United States reflect marital histories and lifetime earnings of current and former married couples. We examine women's marital history patterns and spouse and widow benefit eligibility over the past two decades, 1990 and 2009. Our analysis reveals substantial changes in women's marital patterns among the baby boom and generation&nbsp;X cohorts. We find a substantial decline in qualifying marital histories for Social Security spouse and widow benefits. The results reveal considerable variation by race and Hispanic origin.</p>
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<div class="ssbArticle">
<div><a href="/policy/docs/ssb/v72n2/v72n2p39.html">Raising Household Saving: Does Financial Education Work?</a></div>
<div class="authors">by William G. Gale, Benjamin H. Harris, and Ruth Levine</div>
<p>Financial illiteracy is prevalent in the United States, and low levels of financial literacy are associated with poor financial choices and negative economic outcomes. We examine previous work on the effect of financial education on household saving and find mixed results. Workplace financial education seminars positively affect household saving, but the size of this effect varies widely across studies. The effects of other financial education initiatives are less clear, highlighting the need for rigorous econometric evaluation of efforts to improve financial literacy. </p>
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<div class="ssbArticle">
<div><a href="/policy/docs/ssb/v72n2/v72n2p49.html">The Growth in Social Security Benefits Among the Retirement-Age Population from Increases in the Cap on Covered Earnings</a></div>
<div class="authors">by Alan L. Gustman, Thomas L. Steinmeier, and Nahid Tabatabai</div>
<p>This article investigates how raising the maximum level of earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax leads to the "leakage" of portions of the additional revenue into higher benefit payments. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the authors simulate the effects of changes in maximum taxable earnings for cohorts approaching retirement age over a <span class="nobr">24-year</span> period. They find, roughly, that almost half of the additional tax revenue from having raised the maximum earnings subject to the payroll tax has leaked into higher&nbsp;benefits.</p>
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<div class="ssbArticle">
<div><a href="/OACT/TR/2012/index.html">Introduction and Overview of the 2012 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds</a></div>
<p>The Board of Trustees reports each year on the current and projected financial condition of the Social Security program, which is financed through two separate trust funds: the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance Trust Fund. The introduction, overview, and full report are available <a href="/OACT/TR/2012/index.html">here</a>.</p>
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<p class="ninetypercent"><abbr class="spell">ISSN</abbr>: 1937-4666</p>
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