The U.S. retirement system isn’t broken — it works, but it’s ready for an upgrade. Targeted reforms, greater access to savings options and better financial literacy will strengthen it for future generations, without losing what’s already working.
Despite the progress we've made, the retirement system still fails too many — particularly women and workers of color. The gender disparities in retirement are alarming. Women are more likely to work in jobs without retirement benefits, and because they tend to live longer than men, they often face a longer retirement with fewer savings. On average, women retire with 30% less in savings than men, despite needing more to cover their longer retirement horizon. This is compounded by the well-documented gender pay gap and the time many women take off work to care for children or older family members.
