Personal Social Security accounts could be a key structural reform by transforming Social Security, at least in part, from a program of payments from the government to one of savings and personal property. Current proposals, however, have generated many concerns and objections. To many people the accounts seem complicated, risky, and even frightening, and divert payroll taxes away from the U.S. Treasury.

This conference will discuss a new approach to Social Security reform: creating personal Social Security accounts that have a simple financial structure, that do not require diverting funds from the Treasury or imposing financial risks on households, and that have low-cost, efficient operations.