http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/article.asp?articleref=AR00003308EN

The Heritage Foundation, Allison Auditorium 214 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002

(Washington, D.C.) — Leading policy makers, practitioners, academics, and pension and financial experts from the Netherlands and the United States will discuss the future of retirement on both sides of the Atlantic at the conference: The U.S. and the Netherlands: Converging Paths to Retirement Security at the Heritage Foundation.

Retirement income in both countries primarily consists of public and private pensions and individual retirement savings. Demographic trends and issues facing public and private programs require a closer examination of innovations in individual and employer-provided pensions. The full-day conference will highlight trends in retirement plan design and prospects for the future.

The Netherlands, with the lowest elderly poverty rate in the world, is widely recognized for its pension system. The Dutch system is considered one of the best age-proof systems among others in the world, however, the future cost of the aging population, the financial crisis and its effects have placed new pressures on the system. In the United States, policy makers are exploring methods to foster private pension savings in a sensible manner and keep budget costs under control.