From Here to Security: How Workplace Savings Can Keep America's Promise

CHAPTER 7

AMERICA’S RETIREMENT SYSTEM IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT

It says something about this new global economy that USA Today now reports every morning on the day’s events in Asian markets.

—LARRY SUMMERS

In the leading global league tables of national retirement systems (Figure 7.1), Uncle Sam doesn’t seem to have much to brag about (We’re number 13!), or so these pension experts would have us believe.

FIGURE 7.1 2016 Global Pension Index: How did each country fare?

Source: Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, 2016.

So let’s widen our lens and take a brief look at how the retirement savings system we’ve built in this country actually ranks ...