Episode No. 8: Minding the National Savings Gap with John C. Scott of the Pew Charitable Trusts Retirement Research Project

Public perception and prevailing data suggest the presence of a “retirement savings gap,” the difference between what Americans have saved for retirement versus what they actually need. In this episode, Jason Hammersla talks with John C. Scott, Director of the Pew Charitable Trusts Retirement Savings Project, about the real challenges and potential improvements to building retirement savings, including the rise of state-based programs for private-sector workers.

The mission of the Pew Charitable Trusts Retirement Research project is to “study the challenges and opportunities for increasing retirement savings,” specifically examining “barriers to retirement savings.” Before joining Pew, John was a professor and researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and served for a time as director of retirement policy for the Council, so it seems fitting to have him come by to chat in our 50th anniversary year.