Social Security Reform: Implications for Private Pensions

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the interactions between Social Security and private pensions, focusing on the: (1) primary linkages between Social Security and private pensions and the way they interact to provide retirement income for workers and families; (2) effects of traditional Social Security reforms on the structure of employer-sponsored pension plans through changes in the costs and incentives faced by employers and workers; and (3) effects of nontraditional reforms, such as individual accounts, on the structure of the private pension system.