FINANCIAL SECURITY: RESOURCES

Below you will find links to other research centers and data resources. This list is not exhaustive but includes well-respected research institutes and commonly referenced data sources.

RELATED CENTERS AND ORGANIZATIONS:
CRR – Center for Retirement Research – Boston College
EBRI – Employee Benefits Research Institute
Center for Financial Security – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Urban Institute – Program on Retirement Policy
MRRC – Michigan Retirement Research Center – University of Michigan
Pension Research Council – Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
WISER – Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement
Sloan Center on Aging and Work – Boston College
Center on Work and Family – Boston College
Families and Work Institute
FINRA

DATA SOURCES
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Databases, Tables, & Calculators by Subject

Data.gov
This website was launched in May 2009 to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.

Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being
This Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics report provides the latest data on 37 key indicators that portray aspects of the lives of older Americans and their families. It is divided into five subject areas: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.

Health and Retirement Study (HRS)
Begun in 1992, HRS and its companion study, AHEAD, conduct biennial surveys on aging and health.

RAND HRS data files
The RAND HRS Data file is a cleaned and easy-to-use version of data from eleven waves of the Health and Retirement Study data, including five entry cohorts: the original 1992 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) cohort; the 1993 Study of Assets and Health Dynamics (AHEAD) cohort; the Children of Depression and War Baby cohorts entering in 1998; and Early Baby Boomer cohort entering in 2004. Derived variables covering a broad though not complete range of measures have been constructed. It includes RAND imputations of wealth, income, and medical expenditures. All variables have been named consistently across waves. It incorporates HRS data from 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010.

Current Population Survey
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey has been conducted for more than 70 years.

Consumer Expenditure Survey
The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) program consists of two surveys—the quarterly Interview survey and the Diary survey—that provide information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics.

CONSUMER RESOURCES
Insights: Financial Capability
A Snapshot of Investor Households in America

Squared Away Beta
Square Away your finances or deal with a particular issue with tools and information from the Financial Security Project at Boston College.

CFPB – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Provides resources on bank accounts, budgeting, credit cards, and more.

Financial Literacy Month
Thirty steps to financial success from the experts of Money Management International.

MyMoney.Gov
The U.S. Government’s website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial educations. Provides helpful financial information for all stages of life, including buying a home and investing in your 401(k).

Smart About Money
Sponsored by the National Endowment for Financial Education, this website provides articles, worksheets, tips, and resources from across the web to help you understand and manage your money.

Social Security Benefits Planner
This planner provides detailed information about your Social Security retirement benefits under current law. It also points out things you may want to consider as you prepare for the future.

Other Retirement Calculators

SaveAndInvest.org
SaveAndInvest.org provides unbiased financial tools and information for military families and all investors from the FINRA Foundation.