Americans should work beyond 65 – to avoid the Social Security system collapsing.
That is one of two options the to avoid a ‘retirement crisis’ in the US, according to billionaire Larry Fink – the boss of the world’s biggest fund manager Blackrock.
‘No one should have to work longer than they want to. But I do think it’s a bit crazy that our anchor idea for the right retirement age – 65 years old – originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire,’ Fink wrote in his 2024 letter to shareholders.
He points out that in the 1950s very few workers actually got to retire and claim a pension at 65 – because they had already died. LIfe expectancy was much lower.
‘Today, these demographics have completely unraveled, and this unraveling is obviously a wonderful thing,’ Fink added. ‘We should want more people to live more years. But we can’t overlook the massive impact on the country’s retirement system.’
He added: ‘As a society, we focus a tremendous amount of energy on helping people live longer lives.
‘But not even a fraction of that effort is spent helping people afford those extra years.’
He cited figures showing that one in six people will be over 65 by the middle of the century, up from one in 11 in 2019.
Fink said data from the US Census Bureau’s survey of consumer finances in 2022 showed nearly half of Americans aged 55 to 65 reported not having a single dollar saved in personal retirement accounts.
Social Security already makes up the biggest chunk of Government spending.
The future of Social Security is already under debate – it faces a funding shortfall in under a decade as the jump in boomers retiring is not being matched by new, younger workers paying into the system.
Fink’s second solution to avert the retirement crisis is for Americans to invest more in to their personal retirement plans – boosting their 401(k)s and IRAs – to cut their reliance on federal funds.
A third option is one suggested not by Fink but someone at the opposite end of the politate spectrum – Senator Bernie Saunders. The far left Democrat wants to lift the income tax for Social Security.
For 2024, income over $168,600 is exempt from the Social Security payroll tax of 12.4 percent.
It means those on $1 million a year – in effect – stop paying on March 2, CBS Money Watch reports. Fink takes home about $25 million a year in salary, benefits and bonuses.
A retirement expert says Fink is correct in saying that there are problems with the retirement system in America – but working longer misses the mark.
Teresa Ghilarducci told CBS MoneyWatch: ‘After a 40-year-old experiment of a voluntary, do-it-yourself-based pension system, half of workers have no easy way to save for retirement.
‘And in rich nations, why isn’t age 65 a good target for most workers to stop working for someone else?’
She added: ‘Working longer won’t get us out of this. Most people don’t retire when they want to, anyway.’
Fink and Blackrock have a financial interest in raising the issue. The asset manager will launch a product next month to address the issue.
The ‘LifePath Paycheck’ will go live in April, with 14 retirement plan sponsors aiming to make it available for 500,000 employees as defined contribution plans.
BlackRock, which had over $10 trillion in total assets under management at the end of last year, oversees the largest retirement funds in the US.
Fink said data from the US Census Bureau’s survey of consumer finances in 2022 showed nearly half of Americans aged 55 to 65 reported not having a single dollar saved in personal retirement accounts.
Millions of senior Americans are already heading back to work to pay the bills after soaring prices ate up retirement savings.
When Joyce Fleming retired in 2019, she thought that she was finished with working.
But just a few years later, spiraling living costs have pushed the 70-year-old nurse back into the workforce in order to make ends meet.
The price of everyday essentials, car ownership, insurance and housing have soared in the last few years, driven by rampant inflation.
