AEI.Org: Scholar: Andrew G. Biggs

Why Is There So Much Waste in U.S. Healthcare?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Even though much of Americans' health care spending is wasted because tax breaks encourage overspending, current reform proposals do not correct these incentives.

The Baucus Plan's Phony Deficit Reduction

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The true effect of Senator Baucus's health care bill will likely be large increases in the deficit, not an $81 billion reduction.

Baucus Plan Would Raid Social Security

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

By exposing more of Americans' incomes to payroll taxes, the Baucus bill increases the Social Security surpluses and makes the on-balance budget appear more balanced.

How Different Is Grandma's Spending?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The inflation seniors experience is far more similar to that felt by other Americans than it is different.

Bad News for Those Born in 1947

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

It is time for Congress to adjust the Social Security benefit formula to make sure that neither unintended windfalls nor penalties take place.

Thinking about Health Care Profitability

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Despite all the hype, the health-insurance industry's profit margins remain modest.

Town-Hall Trickery

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Democrats and their allies in the press are complaining about unruly members of the public yelling their opposition to the Obama administration's health plans--but they seem to forget how their own side acts when confronted with a policy it opposes.

Public Pensions Cook the Books

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Some public pension plans want to hide the truth from taxpayers.

Shooting the Messenger: CBO in the Crosshairs

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The official scorekeeper for any health reform proposed in Congress has stated the reforms proposed by the administration could increase costs. What to do? Shoot the messenger.

The COLA Wars

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Outrage about the absence this year of a cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients is based on ignorance of the system.

The Straw Men of Social Security

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Social Security's costs relative to its tax base will rise by 26 percent over the next two decades. It is badly in need of reform.

Social Security--It Just Got Even Worse

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The recession has taken a toll on Social Security's finances.

Retirement Math

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

How would personal Social Security accounts have fared in the current market?

Growing Costs

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Left's new narrative on entitlements relies on statistical sleight of hand.

Wheeling Out the Latest Contrivance

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The fight for survival by automakers has made them unlikely proponents of government-controlled health care.

Full Faith and Overextended Credit

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The federal government’s long-term budget could bring about a financial crisis that surpasses the current one.

Doomed to Repeat the Present?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

A vital federal program is about to put millions of American pensions at risk.

Survey: Half of Workers Would Opt Out of Social Security If They Could

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Just because people are dissatisfied with the Social Security system does not mean they are ready for private accounts.

Will "Fixing" Entitlements Mean New Taxes?

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Progress on fixing the major entitlement programs is possible if the Obama administration works in good faith with congressional Republicans and outside stakeholders.

The Social Security Trust Fund Is a Safe, Dependable Return. Right?

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Many people have recently pointed to the safety and security of Social Security relative to 401(k) plans.

What Verdict Has the Past Year Rendered on Social Security Reform?

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Despite the market turmoil of the past year, personal accounts are still not a bad option to include in Social Security reform.

Obama vs. FDR

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

How Obama’s proposed changes to Social Security take aim at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vision for retirement security.

Thinking Ahead on Retirement Security

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Social Security and Medicare face significant funding shortfalls, but solutions are often hampered byideology.

New Polling on Social Security Reform

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Recent polling indicates that Americans think workers should have the option to drop out of Social Security but that few people would actually choose to exercise that option if allowed.

A Progressivity Index for Social Security

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Throughout Social Security's history, benefit adequacy has been balanced with equity.

Should We Lower the Payroll Tax to Stimulate the Economy? I'm Not So Sure

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

How much would a payroll tax cut stimulate the economy? Not very much.

Does Social Security Actually Spread Risk across Generations?

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Social Security can accomplish intergenerational risk sharing in theory, but maybe not in practice.

Obama Wants Social Security to Be a Welfare Plan

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Barack Obama'stax credit amounts to a radical change in the system.

Argentina Attempts to Nationalize Personal Accounts System; Workers Object

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

There are some interesting pension developments in Argentina that shed some light on Social Security policy in the United States.

Alternate Measures of Replacement Rates for Social Security Benefits and Retirement Income

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

This article illustrates replacement rates using four measures of preretirement earnings.

Still a Good Idea

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

What does the turbulent stock market tell us about Social Security personal accounts?

How Would Obama Change Effective Payroll Tax Rates and Social Security Progressivity?

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Senator Obama has a component of his tax plan that would introduce significant progressivity into the tax side of Social Security.

The Rich Pay Their Fair Share

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Given how most information pertaining to the two presidential candidates' tax plans is presented in the press, it is all but impossible to say much about either fairness or efficiency.

New CBO Projections of Social Security Financing

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The Congressional Budget Office's report on Social Security financing differs somewhat from the Social Security Trustees'.

Obama on Social Security

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A misguided op-ed exaggerates the projected poverty of senior citizens without Social Security.

On Social Security's Birthday, Think of the Future

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The retirement of the baby boomers and aging of the population will put pressure on Social Security's finances.

Aging Matters

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100

By delaying claiming Social Security benefits, a worker effectively "purchases" more of the Social Security annuity.

Obama's Faulty Tax Argument

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Bracket creep--the failure of tax brackets to keep pace with rising incomes--means that tax revenues will rise, tax cut or no.

Good News on Social Security?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

An inflation gap means you may get more than you think--even if benefits are cut. It is a "good" glitch, but it needs fixing.

The Obama Tax Hike

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Obama has recently changed his plan for dealing with the Social Security deficit.

Keeping Granny on the Job: Pension Reform and Labor Force Participation in the United ...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:15:00 +0100

The Case for Simplifying Social Security Benefits

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:30:00 +0100

Retirement Finance in the Wake of the Bubble and Longer-Term Implications

Wed, 06 May 2009 14:00:00 +0100

The SAFE Solution to Entitlement Reform

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:30:00 +0100

Private Markets and Public Insurance Programs

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100

Beyond November: Economics and the New President

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0100

Improving the Social Security Trustees Report

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:00:00 +0100

Tax Policy Lessons from the 2000s

Fri, 30 May 2008 08:50:00 +0100

Social Security: Keeping the Promise for the 21st Century

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Social Security is the largest spending program of the federal government, the largest tax paid by most workers, and the largest source of income for most retirees. It also faces a significant long-term funding challenge.

Enhancing Social Security Benefits for Low Earners

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Social Security Insurance eligibility requirements make it more difficult for beneficiaries to work or save.

Policies to Improve the Resiliency of Long-Term Social Security Financing

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100

This paper examines policies to index Social Security taxes or benefits to changes in the ratio of workers to beneficiaries, allowing for auto-correction for changing demographic factors.

AEI Scholar Andrew Biggs Comments on New Social Security Trustee Report

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

The most Social Security outlook has improved; however, reform is still required.

A Diet COLA for Social Security? Not Really

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Making a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security benefits might actually be detrimental to retirees, not helpful.

Answer Quickly: How Much Do You Think You'll Get from Social Security?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The unpredictability of Social Security benefits is just as big a problem for retirement planning as stock losses in a 401(k). Here is how policymakers can address it.

Does It Pay to Work?

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

One reform to extend working years and enhance income security in retirement would be to reduce or eliminate the payroll tax for individuals above a given age.

Will You Have Enough to Retire On?

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

While policymakers should work to strengthen Social Security and private pension savings, talk of a crisis in retirement income preparedness appears premature.

Will Your Social Insurance Pay Off?

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Individuals with lower lifetime earnings receive better treatment on average from Social Security, but lifetime earnings area weak predictor of how any one person will be treated by the program.

Social Insecurity?

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Even with the stock market collapse of the past two months, retirees under a hypothetical personal-account model wouldhave significantly increased their totalSocial Securitybenefits.

Entitlements: Not Just a Health Care Problem

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

While rising health care spending is indeed a pressing issue, discounting population aging leaves out half the problem and ignores half the potential solutions.

The Social Security Earnings Test

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Retirees need better information about the Social Security earnings test, and policymakers should consider whether the earnings test makes sense at all.

Still a Good Idea

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

What does the turbulent stock market tell us about Social Security personal accounts?

Barack Obama's Social Security Donut Hole

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Until recently, Barack Obama was surprisingly responsible regarding Social Security, but he now plans to fix the system's problems exclusively with higher taxes.