The National Press Foundation presented a four-day seminar for journalists on "Retirement Issues in the 21st Century," in Washington, D.C. from September 16- 19, 2007. The program looked at the critical issues facing the sandwich generation, the state of savings, and many other aspects of retirement.
Retirement is an overriding issue of the 21st Century, not only for individuals in the United States, as Baby Boomers end their careers, but around the world, as the needs of aging populations shake national economies. This program viewed retirement from both the personal and societal perspectives - from individuals' financial planning, to the way retirement is changing the world, and how the world is changing retirement. The program gave journalists, especially those specializing in business and consumer issues, solid ground for future reporting across the panorama of retirement. This was an encore of our very successful programs in 2005 and 2006.
Page Contents
Program Agenda
Selected Journalists
National Call-In Sessions
Program Agenda:
The Demographics of Aging
Carl Haub, Sr. Demographer, Population Reference Bureau, Washington, D.C.
What Makes a Happy Retirement?
Steve Vernon, President, Rest-of-Life Communications, and author of Live Long and Prosper, Universal City, Calif.,
Saving For Retirement: Issues and Solutions - National Call-In Session
Mark Iwry, Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution; Senior Advisor, The Retirement Security Project, Of Counsel, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Research Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Understanding Social Security and Medicare
Bob Rosenblatt, Senior Fellow, National Academy of Social Insurance, Washington, D.C.
The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Elderly Parents
Elinor Ginzler, Director, Livable Communities – Office of Social Impact, AARP, Washington, D.C.
A Journalist’s Perspective on Covering Retirement
Stanley J. Hinden, author of How to Retire Happy: Everything You Need to Know About the 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire and a former editor at The Washington Post
Overview of Retirement in the Private Sector - National Call-In Session
Dallas L. Salisbury, president & CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute, Washington, D.C
Communities Start to Get Ahead of the Curve for an Aging Population
Elizabeth Kellar, Deputy Executive Director, International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and Executive Director, Center for State and Local Government Excellence, Washington, D.C.
Encore Careers: How Boomers Can Solve, Not Cause, Social Problems
John Gomperts, President, Civic Ventures, Washington, D.C.
The Changing Nature of Retirement and Retirement Lifestyles
John Rother, Director of Policy and Strategy, AARP, Washington, D.C.
Turning a Lifetime of Savings into Retirement Income
Mary Beth Franklin, Sr. Editor, Kiplinger Personal Finance, Washington, D.C.
Retirement IQ: What Americans Do and Don’t Know about Retirement - National Call-In Session
Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
The Future of 401 (k) Fee Disclosure
Liz Varley, Managing Director, SIFMA (Retirement Policy Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association), Washington, D.C.
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Selected journalists:
- Adriel Bettelheim, Congressional Quarterly
- Krysta Brown, WFSU-TV (The Florida Channel)
- Trish Choate, Scripps Howard News Service
- Andrea Coombes, MarketWatch from Dow Jones
- Lou Hirsh, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Cali.)
- Michael Hirsh, Freelance journalist and author
- Lee Howard, The Day (New London, Conn.)
- Nina Ing, Retirement Living TV
- Jack Kahn, WPBT2 Miami and NBR Enterprises
- Ron Kauffman, Senior Lifestyles Intelligent Talk Radio
- Pam Kelley, The Charlotte Observer
- Ronnie Lovler, Freelance journalist and the University of North Florida
- Kara McGuire, Minneapolis Star Tribune
- Jennifer Meacham, RedwoodAge.com, Gather.com and RIS Media
- Jonathan Peterson, The Los Angeles Times
- Pamela Walck, Savannah Morning News
- Kathryn Walson, Kiplinger's Retirement Report
- Lauren Weber, Freelance journalist and author
- Janet Paskin, SmartMoney Magazine
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"An excellent conference for both retirement issues novices and veterans"
- Robert S. Anthony, Time Magazine, Generations Section
"I have a long list of stories to get to now. It was a very professionally rewarding experience and I would absolutely recommend it"
- Monica Hatcher, The Miami Herald
Like all NPF programs, this one is on-the-record with plenty of time for discussion. Fellowships include airfare (to $600), hotel and most meals.
Underwritten by: 
The National Press Foundation is a non-profit, educational foundation.
