Publications

February 2006 (Revised April 2006)
Teaching Note

General Motors U.S. Pension Funds (TN)

By: Luis M. Viceira

Keywords: Retirement; Auto Industry

April 2011 (Revised June 2012)
Background Note

Note on U.S. Pension Accounting

By: Robert C. Pozen and Brij Khurana

The purpose of this note is to describe the manner in which publicly traded corporations and local governments in the United States account for their pension plans. View Details

Keywords: Retirement; Accounting; United States

Educators

July 1998 (Revised March 1999)
Case

Social Security Reform

Examines various approaches to pension reform. Examines the current Social Security system in the United States, pension reform in other countries, and the leading approaches to reform. Concludes with analysis of three questions: 1) would returns be higher in a private... View Details

Keywords: Privatization; Retirement; Welfare or Wellbeing; Government and Politics; Public Administration Industry; United States

January 2004
Supplement

General Motors Corporation: Retiree Benefit Risk Management

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Retirement; Risk Management; Compensation and Benefits; Auto Industry

August 1994
Background Note

World Pension Fund Markets

By: Jay O. Light and Jon Headley

Presents a comparative description and analysis of pension funds in different countries. There is a special focus on comparing the United States and the United Kingdom. View Details

Keywords: Retirement; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Investment Funds; United States; United Kingdom

March 2025
Article

Optimal Illiquidity

By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, Christopher Clayton, Christopher Harris, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian

We study the socially optimal level of illiquidity in an economy populated by households with taste shocks and present bias with naive beliefs. The government chooses mandatory contributions to accounts, each with a different pre-retirement withdrawal penalty.... View Details

Keywords: Retirement; Financial Liquidity; Personal Finance; Saving

Read Now

24 Aug 2010
First Look

First Look: August 24

(C):http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/411008-PDF-ENG Fidelity Retires in Canada Robert C. Pozen and Edward ScottHarvard Business School Case 311-023 The head of Fidelity Canada was faced with a decision about what to do with its View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 1982
Background Note

ERISA and Pension Plan Management

By: Jay O. Light

Keywords: Retirement; Financial Management

2012
Chapter

The Availability and Utilization of 401(k) Loans

By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian

We document the loan provisions in 401(k) savings plans and how participants use 401(k) loans. Although only about 22% of savings plan participants who are allowed to borrow from their 401(k) have such a loan at any given point in time, almost half had used a 401(k)... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Personal Finance; Retirement; Financing and Loans; Microeconomics

Read Now

May 1993
Case

Alan Stein

By: Carl S. Sloane, Shoshana Zuboff and R.Keith Giarman

Deals with issues of adult and career development at mid-life. Describes the career and personal history of an adult male, choice points in his life, and how he made critical career and personal choices. Focuses in on his decision to "retire" from Goldman, Sachs at an... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Decision Choices and Conditions; Personal Development and Career; Retirement; Satisfaction

2014
Chapter

Who Uses the Roth 401(k), and How Do They Use It?

By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian

Using administrative data from twelve companies that added a Roth 401(k) option between 2006 and 2010, we describe the characteristics of Roth contributions. Approximately one year after the Roth is introduced, 9% of 401(k) participants have positive Roth balances.... View Details

Keywords: Retirement; Investment Funds; United States

November 2011
Teaching Note

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (TN)

By: Josh Lerner, Felda Hardymon and Ann Leamon

Keywords: Retirement; Investment Funds; Canada

February 2014
Teaching Note

Advising Families on Estate Planning

By: Robert C. Pozen

Sean Warrick is an estate planning adviser at Hellwig & Macon. He is preparing for meetings with two clients. His first clients are Peggy and David Bartley, a professional married couple of moderate wealth. His second clients are Ray and Michelle Polanski, a couple... View Details

Keywords: Estate Planning; Estate Tax; Gift Tax; Gift Giving; Generation Skipping Tax; Tax Accounting; Tax Strategy; Taxes; Taxation; Retirement; Financial Services Industry; United States

January 2014 (Revised June 2014)
Case

Advising Families on Estate Planning

By: Robert C. Pozen and Lucas W. Goodman

Sean Warrick is an estate planning adviser at Hellwig & Macon. He is preparing for meetings with two clients. His first clients are Peggy and David Bartley, a professional married couple of moderate wealth. His second clients are Ray and Michelle Polanski, a couple... View Details

Keywords: Estate Planning; Estate Tax; Gift Tax; Generation Skipping Tax; Tax Accounting; Tax Strategy; Taxes; Taxation; Retirement; United States

Educators