Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts

On December 14, 2009, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law hosted a webinar on Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts (UVRA). Speakers discussed the current issues surrounding the U.S. retirement savings framework, workers' preparedness for retirement, and data supporting the need for a UVRA program for low- and middle-income individuals. An overview of UVRA models was presented, including various possible UVRA program components. There was discussion of federal and state legislative proposals for the design of UVRA programs. Representatives from organizations that are currently advocating UVRAs shared information with participants and answered questions.

View the entire webinar (Windows Media Player format; 76MB)

Presenters

Dean Baker
Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Ted Boettner
Executive Director, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy

Gary Burris
Senior Policy Associate, Economic Opportunity Institute

Madge Bush
Director of Advocacy, AARP-Virginia

Olivia Calderon
California Legislative Director-Asset Building Program, New America Foundation

Kate Flannery
Volunteer Attorney, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

David John
Principal, Retirement Security Project

Presentations

• Automatic IRAs: Extending Retirement Saving Opportunities to 78 Million More American Workers

Resources

Karen Harris and Michael Lezaja, Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts: A Financially Secure Retirement, Volume 43 Clearinghouse Review Pg. 366 (November-December 2009)

Iwry, Mark J., John, David C., Pursuing Universal Retirement Security Through Automatic IRAs, The Retirement Security Act

Closing the Retirement Gap: Voluntary Retirement Accounts Offers Solutions for Small Investors, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, Ted Boettner and Paul E. Miller, March 2009

CFED's 2009-2010 Assets and Opportunities Scorecard offers a comprehensive, timely assessment of the financial security of households and individuals at the state level--and allows comparison by state and, where possible, race, gender, and income. Its scope and framework give a useful, strategic view of the economic drivers and of the policies that can accelerate and expand asset building and economic opportunity. The Scorecard
ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia on 58 performance measures in five issue areas: financial assets and income, businesses and jobs, housing and homeownership, health care, and education.

The Asset Coalition Toolkit for States (ACTS) is an independent website containing tools and resources that leverage information sharing among state coalitions in the asset-building field.