Teresa Ghilarducci & Rick McGahey argue that wage-led growth should form the foundation of a coherent vision for America.

Social Security’s 2026 Trustees Report warns benefits face a 22 percent cut in 2032. Here’s why the shortfall grew and how broadening the tax base can fix it.

Italy lets workers retire after 40 years on the job. That's not early retirement — it's retirement justice. America should learn from it.

TrumpIRA Explainer with FAQs

One of the nation's sharpest minds on retirement security talks universal access, automatic enrollment, the new TrumpIRA executive order—and why Teresa Ghilarducci believes every worker deserves a def...

Enjoying this ad-free episode of Economic Update? Please consider supporting our work by signing up as a monthly subscriber on our website at https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate, joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork, or becoming a paid subscriber on Substack at https://democracyatwork.substack.com. On this week’s episode of Economic Update, Professor Wolff presents updates on European turmoil that include how the French municipal elections are revealing Macron’s weaknesses, Germany’s opposition of the war on Iran, the UK waffling on Iran and helping the U.S., and Europe's deepening subordination to the U.S. and China as economic giants in today's world economy—especially in advanced technological areas. The show’s second half features an interview with Professor Teresa Ghilarducci on the crisis of pensions in the U.S., the "reforms" being proposed, and the grim realities to be faced if pensions continue to decline. We hope you enjoy this discussion and look forward to joining you next week for another all-new episode of Economic Update. Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a production of Democracy at Work, Inc., and any reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without written permission. We make it a point to keep the show ad-free and rely solely on viewer support to continue doing so. Every donation counts and helps us reach a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world that they won't find anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and the others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info Professor Wolff's latest book, "Understanding Capitalism," is available now for purchase: https://linktr.ee/understandingcapitalism © 2026 Democracy at Work, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Retirement, like so much of the American economy, is a broken system that benefits private interests and exploits the most vulnerable people.

​"If my 5% wealth tax on billionaires was enacted, you’d owe $135 million more in taxes, and a family of four making $150,000 or less would receive a $12,000 payment. Oh, and you’d still be worth more...

Trump’s retirement plan and the RSAA aim to fix the coverage gap for 69 million workers, countering AEI’s concerns about Medicaid, SSI and low-income retirement security.

President Trump announces a federal retirement savings plan with a $1,000 match. Will it close the coverage gap?

President Trump said he wants to fix what he called the "gross disparity" within the U.S. retirement system during Tuesday night's State of the Union address. He plans to do that with the creation of ...

Millions of private-sector workers without employer-sponsored retirement savings plans could gain access to new tax-advantaged plans similar to one in place for federal workers, President Donald Trump...

Workers without employer-sponsored plans could have an additional way to save

President Trump pledges to give private-sector workers without an employer-sponsored retirement plan access to new tax-advantaged accounts similar to those for federal employees.

NEW YORK, NY —The Wealth Equity Lab ( formerly Retirement Equity Lab ) at The New School for Social Research issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s announced executive action to cr...

The California Billionaire Tax debate highlights inequality, low effective tax rates for the ultra‑rich, and the human impact of proposed cuts

The California Billionaire Tax debate highlights inequality, low effective tax rates for the ultra‑rich, and the human impact of proposed cuts to health care and education.

Explore how Trump accounts compare to baby bonds, why tax policy favors wealthy families, and what economists propose to close the racial wealth gap.

Reimagining the Economics of Late Life Institutions, Systems, and Investments Spring 2026 Conference – May 1, 2026 | The New School, New York City

The policy would have fundamentally altered who qualifies for the two federal disability programs by eliminating or limiting a person’s age as a factor to consider.

Around the world, market forces – low interest rates, longer lives, workers changing jobs – are testing underfunded pension plans. We explore how the world should rethink financial security for aging ...

A 50-year mortgage is a re-timing device: it improves near-term liquidity but increases lifetime interest, slows equity, and extends leverage later into the life cycle.

Employment instability in midlife and the challenge of working full-time past age 62.

Analyzing previous research in this cohort and new study group findings on financial issues in retirement.

The spotlight of Proposition 50 has gone cold. How can Gov. Gavin Newsom remain nationally relevant in his run for the White House?

What lower-income workers and retirees need to know.

This overlooked group faces steep barriers to finding work and then to accessing social safety net programs.

Older adults leaving prison face a Catch-22 of bureaucracy, digital ignorance and limited help when applying for benefits.

Women are more likely to receive care, and many other findings from a study of HRS, ATUS, and CPS data.

Caregivers often turn to Social Security payments to make ends meet, leaving them in a vulnerable position later in life.

The 2026 Social Security COLA fails to match inflation because benefits lag, Medicare costs rise, CPI-W is quirky and older women lose most.

Who tends to become disabled, what benefits are available for caregiving, and how might benefits impact household income long-term?

A mixed-methods analysis of the impact of student debt on retirement security and claiming age

Estimating what we miss about direct care workers’ employment, earnings, and retirement savings.

Generations Journal, vol. 49, no. 3 (Fall 2025)

Baby boomers were critical to Trump’s 2024 victory, when 51 percent of the age group voted for him.

YouTube video by CBS Evening News

As America ages and income inequality deepens, concerns about retirement security are mounting.

After nationwide repression of unions, wages fell more in markets where unions had previously delivered larger gains. When unions are weakened, pay falls.

By: Jessica Forden with Teresa Ghilarducci and The SCEPA Team Download the PDF here. This policy note is part of SCEPA’s “Tracking the Retirement Crisis” series. This series was made possible in ...

Normally, a higher inflation raye would spark somewhat boring debates about Fed policy and consumer sentiment. This time, new danger lurks.

There’s no shortage of turmoil around Social Security and retirement security these days. If you listen to Americans—Republicans, Democrats, the rich, the poor, the very online and the very offline—yo...

by Teresa Ghilarducci and the SCEPA Team Download the PDF here. This policy note is part of SCEPA’s “Tracking the Retirement Crisis” series. This series was made possible in part through the gene...