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Choosing when to claim Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits is an important decision for older Americans' financial health. While previous work has examined heterogeneity in claiming decisions, relatively little research has systematically tested the psychological factors that predict early or delayed SSA claiming or the effectiveness of theory-driven interventions meant to help with the claiming decision. A preregistered experiment and three replications examined the extent to which intended claiming age is a function of theory-driven interventions, individual difference measures, and relevant interactions between interventions and individual differences. The interventions that increased intended claiming age were those that suggest that delayed claiming may be the right choice (i.e., injunctive norm, information about the commonality of regret), those that highlight the financial benefits from delayed claiming (i.e., gains framing, focus on benefits to the future self), and those that guide preference construction through self-reflection (i.e., focus on right-tail longevity, reason generation). In addition, intertemporal discounting, subjective life expectancy, and perceived ownership of SSA benefits predicted intended claiming age. This research advances our understanding of which retirees will decide to claim earlier or later and offers practical insights for policy makers, financial planners, and consumer finance organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retirement holds many surprises, including what you can name it. Are you prepared to withdraw from life as well as career and disengage from your pursuits as you get older? Or perhaps you’ll just plan to continue along the same path you have been, but just absent the work part. You might be the type to forge ahead with new pursuits and interests with all that new free time. Regardless of your preference, you may find yourself having more of that retirement time than you anticipated and need to prepare more diligently than you anticipate. And your clients may be in the same circumstances. Getting a better handle on what specific action to take on the multiple aspects of planning that a satisfying retirement will bring under challenging circumstances and risks can be a benefit to both financial professionals and their clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an update on a longitudinal analysis of 401(k) plan participants, focusing on consistent participants who maintained accounts from 2016 to 2022. The findings show that the average and median account balances for consistent participants increased over the study period, with younger participants or those with smaller balances experiencing higher percentage growth. The study also found that consistent participants tend to concentrate their accounts in equity securities and there was an increase in the use of target date funds. Another document provides data on the accumulation of 401(k) plan account balances, showing that the consistent sample had higher average and median account balances compared to the broader database. Account balances tend to increase with age and tenure, and the average account balance among consistent participants more than doubled between 2016 and 2022. A third document discusses factors that influence changes in 401(k) plan account balances, such as contributions, investment returns, and withdrawal or loan activity. It also examines changes in asset allocation and reallocation activity among participants. The data suggests relatively small changes in participants' exposure to equities and an increase in the use of target date funds. The final document provides data and statistics related to participant tenure, average account balances, asset allocation by participant age, contributions, investment returns, benefits disbursed, and plan assets. The data covers the years 2000 to 2023 and includes information on employer contributions and market total return indexes. These sources are used in a research report that provides insights and analysis on retirement savings [Extracted from the article]

This research letter discusses the use of technology for health-related purposes among older adults (65+ years) in the United States. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital health utilization among older adults and assess whether there were any disparities in technology uptake across different sociodemographic groups. The findings showed that older adults increased their utilization of technology for health-related purposes following the pandemic, challenging the belief that this age group is uninterested in digital health. However, there were variations in adoption trends among different racial and educational groups. The study emphasizes the importance of providing equitable digital support and representation for older adults in medical settings and digital health research. [Extracted from the article]

This article analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey to examine trends in labor force participation and employment in the United States. It highlights the increase in the proportion of the population ages 65 or older and the decrease in the share of the labor force that is prime working ages (25-64). The article also discusses how labor force participation rates vary by race/ethnicity. The data shows that participation rates for the oldest and youngest individuals had smaller declines in 2020, and there were variations in participation rates between males and females. The document also presents data on the changing age and gender composition of the population over time, with the Baby Boom generation having a significant impact. It shows that the proportion of prime working-age Americans has declined since the mid-1990s, while the share of those ages 55 and older in the labor force has increased. The text also highlights the distribution of the labor force by age and gender, with the male share being higher but narrowing over time. It also discusses labor force participation rates by race/ethnicity, with Hispanic Americans having the highest rates and Black Americans having the lowest rates. The data suggests a decline in labor force participation rates for all races/ethnicities, followed by a recent rebound. The overall labor force participation rate has remained relatively stable, with slight decreases for men and increases for women. The aging of the Baby Boom generation has resulted in an increased share of older individuals in the labor force. The brief from the [Extracted from the article]

• We investigate whether retirement makes people more risk averse. • Males become more risk averse after retirement, while females do not. • Households tend to get less involved in the stock market when male heads retire but exhibit no such pattern when female heads retire. • The decrease in the risk attitude can be largely accounted for by the decline in income. We investigate whether retirement makes people more risk averse. Using a nationally representative household survey dataset from urban China, we adopt a local randomization regression discontinuity design to estimate the causal effect of retirement on risk attitudes. We find that males become more risk averse after they have retired while females do not; consistently, households tend to participate less in the stock market and invest a lower fraction of financial assets in stocks when their male heads retire but exhibit no such patterns when female heads retire. Therefore, the impact of retirement on risk attitudes exhibits significant gender heterogeneity. Pathway analyses suggest that the decrease in risk taking is largely driven by the decline in income flow after retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to research on everyday resistance as a means of citizens' political subjectification in autocracies and advances the literature on the manipulation of news. Through analysis of state-controlled media and individual interviews, it traces how older people in Belarus engage in anti-authoritarian protests by relying on pre-existing patterns of interactions with the state. My analysis demonstrates that to promote its legitimacy, the paternalist regime cultivates dependence in older citizens and represents itself as the primary solution to problems associated with old-age vulnerability. In response to their systemic marginalisation in the job market, urban development and public health policies, older people claim their equal rights by resisting old-age vulnerability or performing it to challenge the system. The article argues that by practising low-key acts of insubordination, older Belarusians acquire the collective self-awareness and cultural competence that allowed them to engage in the 2020 protests as a distinct political subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human flourishing is an emerging concept, extending beyond the conventional boundaries of subjective well-being and evolving into a comprehensive capture of the diverse dimensions of human life within complex societal structures. Therefore, moving away from traditional approaches centered on the single latent construct, this study aims to explore the multiple aspects of human flourishing and the intricate interplay of their contributing factors. Methods: Data were collected from the Health and Living Environments Survey of Taiwanese Retirees during 2023 (valid sample n = 1,111). Human flourishing was measured using the Secure Flourish Index developed by Harvard University, which includes 12 indicators: (1) life satisfaction, (2) happiness, (3) mental health, (4) physical health, (5) meaning in life, (6) sense of purpose, (7) promoting good, (8) delaying gratification, (9) content relationships, (10) satisfying relationships, (11) financial stability, and (12) material stability. A mixed graphical network analysis was employed to analyze the related determinants, divided into four groups: (a) sociodemographic factors, (b) physical functions and health status, (c) social and family engagement, and (d) community environmental characteristics as nodes. Results: We analyzed 31 variables and identified 133 nonzero edges out of 465 potential connections in the comprehensive network. Results showed that happiness and promoting good were the two most critical indicators influencing retirees' overall flourishing. Different flourishing indicators were also associated with various influential factors. For instance, personal characteristics, especially gender and education, emerged as central factors. Family caregiving negatively affected happiness and financial stability, whereas social engagement was positively associated with life satisfaction and meaning in life. Employment status had mixed effects, negatively associated with life satisfaction but positively associated with mental health. Community environments, such as a sense of community and neighborhood safety, generally enhanced flourishing. However, the accessibility of neighborhood resources was paradoxically associated with material stability, pointing to the complexity of environmental factors in human flourishing. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive network analysis that reveals intricate connections between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors, offering profound insights for targeted interventions to foster human flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Çalışma ve Toplum is the property of Calisma ve Toplum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Asbestos causes cancer and non‐cancerous lung and pleural diseases and can also have a negative psychological impact but little is known about its effect on health‐related quality of life. Objectives: The aim of this study is to describe the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of retired men with a history of occupational exposure to asbestos and examine factors linked with low HRQoL. Methods: Retired male workers of the French Asbestos‐Related Disease Cohort (ARDCO) completed self‐questionnaires that included SF‐36v2 and HAD scales, questions about their perception of asbestos (perceived dangers and level of exposure, expectations to fall ill, or knowing someone who is) and their respiratory symptoms. Asbestos exposure was assessed by industrial hygienists. A perceived risk score was created using factorial analysis. Multivariable regressions were performed for all SF‐36 subscales. Results: A total of 1266 of 2075 questionnaires (61%) were returned complete and included in analysis. After adjustment for potential confounders, an increase in perceived risk score resulted in a decrease in physical component summary score (PCS), up to 10.7 points (p = 0.048) and in mental component summary score (MCS) (p = 0.044). Presence of respiratory symptoms was also associated with significantly decreased PCS and MCS (p < 0.001). Poor HRQoL was linked to higher perceived risk score with p ≤ 0.01 for all SF‐36 dimensions. Asbestos exposure assessed by an expert was not associated with any outcome. Conclusions: All dimensions of HRQoL appear to be affected by the perceived risk of incurring asbestos‐related disease and respiratory symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document explores the factors that have influenced the neutral real interest rate in the UK. It notes that the neutral rate has recently risen to just below 3% but is expected to decline to around 2% by 2030. Inflation expectations have primarily driven the increase in the nominal neutral rate, while the real neutral rate has risen more modestly. The UK's weak demographic and productivity prospects are projected to keep the neutral real rate at historically low levels. The document acknowledges the uncertainty in estimating the neutral rate and the challenges of accounting for structural changes in the UK. The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has indicated the possibility of an interest rate cut in the near future. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Retirement is one of the most sensitive situations in the life of any working individual, requiring numerous skills for optimal adaptation. Among these skills is the ability to regulate emotional behavior. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the paradoxical treatment model on emotional regulation and the perception of rejection among retirees of Mellat Bank in Tehran. Methods and Materials: The research method was quasi-experimental, utilizing a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The population consisted of all male and female retirees of Mellat Bank in Tehran in the year 2023, and based on a convenience sampling method, 30 individuals were selected and randomly assigned to experimental (15 participants) and control (15 participants) groups. The instruments for data collection included the Kraaij and Garnefski (2019) Emotional Regulation Questionnaire and the Leary and MacDonald (2010) Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire. The paradoxical therapy approach sessions consisted of six 60-minute sessions, with the experimental group members attending weekly sessions. For data analysis, multivariate and univariate covariance analyses were employed using SPSS version 22. Findings: The results indicated that the paradoxical treatment model was effective in improving emotional regulation and perception of rejection among the retirees. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the implementation of the paradoxical therapy approach has led to an improvement in emotional regulation and a decrease in rejection perception scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors investigate why only a minority of retirees follow the recommendations of economists and financial journalists and delay claiming Social Security old-age benefits until at least their Full Retirement Age. The authors argue that low levels of savings and a reluctance to draw down financial assets contribute to a reluctance to delay Social Security claiming after retirement. The authors apply the numerical optimization simulation model of Sun and Webb (2010), using their code, to show the effects on optimal claiming age of longer life expectancy, lower real interest rates, and differing levels of liquidity constraints. The authors find that lower real interest rates and increased life expectancy increase the optimal claiming past age 65, but only for those not liquidity constrained (men) and not already at the highest claiming age (women). The optimal claiming age for people with a high level of liquidity ranges from 68 to 70, while for people with a low level of liquidity, it ranges from 65 to 66. The authors' empirical work supports these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), fiduciaries have a strict duty of loyalty--to act 'solely in the interest of participants and beneficiaries' and 'for the exclusive […]

Studies on labor union earnings premiums generally investigate their size through point-in-time estimates. This study posits, by contrast, that point-in-time estimates of the union premium overlook the cumulative earnings advantages of long-term, persistent union membership. Using a sample of men from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1969 to 2019, the authors investigate how lifetime union membership contributes to earnings advantages. They find, first, that unionization throughout one's career is associated with a $1.3 million mean increase in lifetime earnings, larger than the average gains from completing college. Second, the lifetime earnings gains are channeled entirely through higher hourly wages and occur despite earlier-than-average retirement for persistently unionized men. Third, the union wage premium is not constant throughout a worker's career; instead it increases with more years of union membership. The cumulative advantages of union membership for workers' economic well-being are far greater than point-in-time estimates suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the role of adjusted gross income (AGI) in computing taxable income is crucial to providing good tax and financial planning, especially for retirees. Not every financial planner will be a tax expert but understanding some of the interactions between income items and what type of taxes and costs might be incurred as the result of a transaction is essential. For example, because of a bright-line cutoff, just one additional dollar of modified AGI (MAGI) can trigger an additional $4,351.20 in Medicare Part B premiums. This article reviews the federal income tax formula and discusses some specific income items, including how changes in one item affect other items. It provides examples of some of the additional taxes and costs that can be incurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research conducted with users and librarians of the National Library of Romania, this article discusses specific forms of integration of marginal people in Bucharest: young adults with no stable employment and pensioners. Some come to have access to information; others want to self-educate, enrich themselves culturally, and benefit from the library staff's support. The article argues that libraries should partner with other private and public stakeholders to empower librarians to deal with complex situations and foster further forms of inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Derecho de la Seguridad Social, Laborum is the property of Ediciones Laborum S.L. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Derecho de la Seguridad Social, Laborum is the property of Ediciones Laborum S.L. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Sozialreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To plan for retirement, it is important to understand how needs and purchases may change. We use data from a survey of elderly Australians to see how needs and purchases changed in different categories of goods and services. We looked especially at those who had experienced financial or health shocks. Our analysis shows variation in people's experiences, particularly for health costs, which increase with age. Having private health insurance appears to increase the level and volatility of health costs – presumably as a result of out‐of‐pocket costs. This information can be useful for financial advisors and superannuation trustees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article investigates whether employers are more likely to employ older workers when faced with a shortage of qualified labour. Furthermore, it analyses whether in such cases age stereotypes moderate employers' preferences towards four employment options: (1) supporting workers to continue until the retirement age, (2) encouraging workers to continue beyond the retirement age, (3) recruiting someone older than 55 and (4) (re)hiring someone who has retired. Design/methodology/approach: Data were drawn from a survey conducted among Finnish employers in 2021 (response rate = 66%, N = 1,442). Applying factor analysis to questions about older workers' qualities compared to those of average workers, a distinction was made between perceptions of experience-related and adaptability-related qualities. Generalised ordered logistic regression models were estimated to analyse the relations of preferences for each employment option with experiencing recruitment problems, workplace age stereotypes and interactions between these. Findings: Experiencing recruitment problems was positively related to preferences for hiring a retired person. Employers with difficulties in recruitment were more likely to support work until the retirement age and recruit someone over 55, but only if they had above-average positive perceptions of older workers' experience-related qualities. Employers confronted with recruitment difficulties were more likely to encourage workers to continue beyond the retirement age if they had more positive perceptions of older workers' adaptability-related qualities. Originality/value: This study shows that, even when confronted with labour shortages and population ageing, workplace age stereotypes still pose a potential obstacle for employers to make the best use of an older workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retirement is something everyone will experience in their life. There has been a growing number of retirees over the decade, resulting in a different retirement trend, wherein retiring abroad is among the developing recourse for them nowadays. This is commonly known as Retirement Tourism. This study focused on determining the decision-making process of Potential and Current retirees in the Philippines. The key informants were a total of 30 potential and current retirees who are either frequent travelers or have already settled in the Philippines. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews via secured online platforms. Results revealed that the Attitude components of a potential retiree, formed during multiple visits to the country as tourists or expatriates, as well as various Push and Pull Factors, greatly affect the decision-making process of a potential retiree. The top considerations for choosing the Philippines as a retirement country are the low cost of living, weather, and friendly locals. This is despite some negative media images, bureaucracy, driving conditions in the country, skin tax, and language barriers for the key informants. Other external factors that key informants consider are the Philippines' relationship with China and family matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the relationship between the level of state funding for Home‐ and Community‐Based Services (HCBS) and state overall and dimension‐specific performances in Long‐Term Services and Supports (LTSS). Data Sources and Study Setting: We employed state‐level secondary data from the Medicaid LTSS Annual Expenditures Reports, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) State Scorecards, the U.S. Census, and Federal Reserve Economic data, spanning the timeframe of 2010–2020. Study Design: Overall state LTSS rankings, along with dimension‐specific rankings, were modeled separately against state Medicaid spending on HCBS relative to total Medicaid spending on LTSS. All models were adjusted for state covariates, secular trend, and state fixed effects. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: The study sample included all 50 states and the District of Columbia. However, California, Delaware, Illinois, and Virginia were excluded from FY2019 due to missing data on Medicaid HCBS expenditures. Principal Findings: Every 10 percentage‐point increase in the proportion of Medicaid LTSS spending to HCBS demonstrated 2.05 points improvement (95% confidence interval [CI]: −3.88 to 0.22, p = 0.03) in rankings for state overall LTSS system performance, 2.92 points improvement (95% CI: −4.87 to 0.98, p < 0.01) in rankings for the Choice of Setting and Provider dimension, as well as 1.73 points (95% CI: −3.14 to 0.32, p = 0.02) ranking improvement in the dimension of Effective Transitions. Conclusions: Our study suggested promising effects of increased state funding for HCBS on LTSS performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: For cardiac arrest victims, providing high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a fundamental component of initial care, especially in out-of-hospital settings. We sought to assess the knowledge of nonmedically trained individuals about CPR in case of cardiac arrest in the population of Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey containing 22 questions was administered to individuals aged ≥ 18 years who were not health-care providers. The sample comprised residents of Jazan, Saudi Arabia. The survey included knowledge about the signs of cardiac arrest, previous experiences with CPR, knowledge of basic life support (BLS), and concerns related to CPR. Results: This study examined responses from 480 people to assess their knowledge of CPR. More than one-half were female, and only 33% were male. Only 36.04% reported having received CPR training. In the event of a family member's cardiac arrest, more than 90% state that they would perform CPR. If a family member suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, more than 70% would call an ambulance immediately, whereas only 48% would call an ambulance if the same thing happened to a stranger. Fear of making a mistake was the most common reason for not performing CPR (70.63%). The media was the most common source of CPR training. Women were more aware of the warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest than men. Women were also more likely than men to perform CPR or call for assistance. Furthermore, women were significantly more likely than men to discontinue CPR on a sudden cardiac arrest patient for fear of stopping a working heart or being contaminated by blood or vomit. Few respondents were willing to undergo CPR training; students, homemakers, and retired people were more willing to be trained in CPR than others. Conclusion: In the Saudi Arabian province of Jazan, nonmedically trained people demonstrated a low level of CPR training and knowledge. We believe that making BLS courses available to the general public will increase CPR awareness and understanding among adults and increase survival rates in cases of sudden cardiac arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure a comfortable post-retirement life and the ability to cover living expenses, it is of utmost importance for individuals to have a clear understanding of how long their pre-retirement savings will last. In this research, we employ a ruin-theory approach to model the inflows and the outflows of retirees' portfolios. We track all transactions within the portfolios of retired clients sourced by a registered investment provider to Canada's Financial Wellness Lab at Western University. By utilizing an advanced ruin model, we calculate the mean and the median time it takes for savings to be exhausted, the probabilities of exhaustion of funds within the retirees' expected remaining lifetime while accounting for the observed withdrawal rates, and the deficit at ruin if a retiree has used up all of their savings. We also account for gender as well as for the risk tolerance of retired clients using a K-Means clustering algorithm. This allows us to compare the financial outcomes for female and male retirees and to enhance some findings in the literature. In the final phase of our study, we compare the results obtained by our methodology to the 4% rule which is a widely used approach for post-retirement spending. Our results show that most retirees can withdraw safely more than they currently do (around 2.5%). A withdrawal rate of about 4.5% is proved to be safe, but it might not provide sufficient income for most retirees since it yields approximately CAD 20,000 per year for male retirees in the highest risk tolerance group who withdraw about 4.5% annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores whether relationship satisfaction among older individuals living with a partner is influenced by partners' status of working or being retired, and whether the degree of pooling money affects the association. Background: Couple's spending decisions are likely influenced by the partner with the greatest bargaining power, which may lead to different levels of relationship satisfaction. However, any role of partners' statuses on relationship satisfaction may change when adjusting for how partners organize resources. Method: The subsample consists of older respondents in the Swedish Gender and Generations Survey 2012–2013 (n = 1,737). The analytical approach is logistic regression where the outcome is whether the respondents are completely or not completely satisfied with their relationship. Results: Working respondents with a working partner were less satisfied with their relationship compared to retired respondents with a retired partner. In models considering the gender of whom is retired or working, respondents in couples with a working woman and a retired man were also less satisfied than retired respondents with a retired partner. However, this association disappears when adjusting for degree of pooling. Conclusion: In couples where the woman retires earlier than the man, it can have a negative impact on relationship satisfaction when the partners do not pool money. For couples with the same status, pooling seems to matter less. Implications: Financial educators, practitioners, and policymakers may acknowledge that retirement and working status of older partners play a role for relationship satisfaction, and how partners organize resources may be one area that provides a potential explanation for such problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ways of leaving the labor force has been an understudied aspect of labor market outcomes. Labor market institutions such as occupational licensing may influence how individuals transition to retirement. When and how workers transition from career jobs to full retirement may contribute to pre- and post-retirement well-being. Previous investigations of retirement pathways focused on the patterns and outcomes of retirement transitions, yet the influence of occupational licensing on retirement transition has not been analyzed. In this study, we use the Current Population Survey and Survey of Income and Program Participation to investigate how occupational licensing influences American later-career workers' choice of retirement pathways. Our results show that licensed workers are less likely to choose to change careers but more likely to reduce work hours in transitioning out of the workforce. These results are consistent with the findings that licensed workers receive more benefits in the form of preferable retirement options, suggesting that these workers tend to have higher wages, benefits, and flexibility even toward the end of their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defined contribution retirement pension systems need to improve the level and stability of payments as pensioners age. Longevity risk pooling is key, but so is flexibility to satisfy members' individual needs and preferences. We propose a tontine construct as a flexible and cost-effective investment option for the Chilean pension system. Payouts are for life, but variable since there are no explicit guarantees. Our proposal provides transparency, investment flexibility, and higher expected income streams than any of the existing options available to the country's pensioners. Importantly, it does not distort the existing investment and annuity markets; on the contrary, it complements them. Additionally, it provides a means to offer a form of longevity insurance even if insurers are unwilling to supply it. Furthermore, it is in line with the movement of many countries toward promoting longevity-risk sharing within their defined-contribution systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our call for papers to this special issue on the current state of music librarianship, Dick Griscom and I declared, 'in many ways, our profession has evolved more during [...]

Abstract This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the work status of retirees after retirement, especially focusing on self-employment and unpaid work. Data was taken and analyzed from the “Taiwan Health and Retirement Study,” a nationally representative sample of retired personnel aged 50–74 in 2015–2016. Four types of work status were classified after retirement: Fully retired, Paid work, Self-employment, and Unpaid work. Multinomial regression analysis was used to explore the factors related to participation in paid, self-employed, and unpaid work. Results show that pre-retirement occupation was significantly associated with paid work after retirement. For example, retirees in Taiwan who were employed by private enterprises or self-employed before retirement were more likely to engage in paid work after retirement than civil servants before retirement. Two other factors, namely pre-retirement job stress and work flexibility, prolong the careers of retired workers, especially in self-employment and unpaid work after retirement. Gender also significantly affects the choice of work after retirement. These findings can be used as a reference for future policies on the aging labor force.