About this item
How 401(k)s have gutted retirement security, from charging exorbitant hidden fees to failing to replace the income of traditional pensionsNamed one of PW's Top 10 for Business & Economics A retirement crisis is looming. In 2008, as the 401(k) fallout rippled across the country, horrified holders watched 25 percent of their funds evaporate overnight. Average 401(k) balances for those approaching retirement are too small to generate more than $4,000 in annual retirement income, and experts predict that nearly half of middle-class workers will be poor or near poor in retirement. But long before the recession, signs were mounting that few people would ever be able to accumulate enough wealth on their own to ensure financial security later in life.
About the Author
James W. Russell is the author of eight books,including Social Insecurity: 401(k) s and the Retirement Crisis; Double Standard: Social Policy in Europe and the United States; and Escape from Texas: A Novel of Slavery and the Texas War of Independence. He has taught at universities in the United States and as a Fulbright professor in Mexico and the Czech Republic.
