Improving Workers’ Financial Literacy: A Symposium Summary

Financial literacy and a basic understanding of employer and national retirement programs are essential as older workers transition from full time work into retirement. The retirement process requires individuals to make a series of decisions that will influence their retirement income and economic well-being throughout the rest of their life. However, considerable evidence indicates that workers of the verge of retirement have a rather low level of financial literacy. Many employers have developed pre-retirement financial education and retirement planning programs for their retirement eligible workers. A recent symposium examined the use of employer programs, their effectiveness in enhancing worker knowledge, and the impact of improved financial literacy on retirement plans. This working paper presents a summary of the discussion and highlights the important findings of the symposium.