The retirement savings of the United States’ top executives starkly contrast the struggle of their employees, with a report revealing the staggering $8.9 billion accumulated by five top executives in tax-deferred savings accounts. In a system that seems to favor the “haves,” many of their workers remain unable to secure any retirement savings.
A 401(k) plan, the most common type of employer-sponsored retirement savings plan, allows employees to save and invest a portion of their paycheck before taxes are taken out. However, despite this scheme, many ordinary workers face strict limits on their 401(k) contributions due to the income disparity.
On the other side of the spectrum, “top hat” plans enable these executives to build vast retirement reserves with unlimited tax deferrals. The disparity is alarming, with almost half of Walmart’s eligible employees having zero retirement savings, while the CEO holds more than $169 million in deferred compensation.
This trend extends to other industry giants, like Hyatt Hotels and Home Depot, where significant proportions of workers hold no retirement savings. Meanwhile, the executives enjoy large deferred compensation accounts.
An average American retiree pales in comparison to these top executives, with a mean retirement account value of $255,200 against a monthly retirement check worth over $3m in the case of NVR chair Paul Saville. The report calls for equity in retirement savings, urging Congress to eliminate special retirement tax benefits for corporate CEOs, thus strengthening Social Security benefits for average workers.
THINK LIKE AN ECONOMIST!
Q1. What is meant by the term equity?
Q2. Explain two reasons why income inequality exists.
Q3. Evaluate how a policy of your choosing could be used to address the income inequality outlined in the article.
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