The most enticing lure of myRA starter retirement savings accounts may well be the program’s tax advantages, behavioral science researchers said in a report released by the White House Thursday.
This conclusion comes after the researchers helped the Treasury Department develop a variety of messages on myRA for workers to see which ones worked best.
The messages were delivered in tax preparation software, near the point where filers choose how to receive their tax refunds, and in pre-tax season communications.
Past research had shown tax season can be an effective time to promote savings.
In the annual report by the National Science and Technology Council’s Social and Behavioral Science Research Team, the team said it is working with the Social Security Administration to find out the best way to communicate the pros and cons of working while receiving retirement benefits.
The report noted many workers think they permanently lose the $1 that is taken out of Social Security checks for every $2 earned above $15,720 annually if they stay on the job and collect benefits before full retirement age.
The study notes that money is paid back later.
The frequent failure of Social Security to make workers understand this reality was highlighted in a report Wednesday by the General Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.