Olivia S. Mitchell

Olivia S. Mitchell, Photograph
Co-Investigator, Health and Retirement Study

Contact Information

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor

Professor of Insurance/Risk Management and Business Economics

Department of Insurance & Risk Management
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
3620 Locust Walk, 3000 SHDH
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Ph: 215-898-0424
Fax : 215-898-0310
Email: mitchelo@wharton.upenn.edu

Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ph.D., Economics, 1978
University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.A., Economics, 1976
Harvard University, B.A. magna cum laude, Economics, 1974

Website
PDF icon Curriculum Vitae

Research and Projects

Professor Mitchell's main areas of research focus on private and public insurance, risk management, public finance and labor markets, and compensation and pensions, with a US and an international focus. Her published work analyzes public and private retirement pensions as well as links between wealth, health, and retirement. Mitchell has served on the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security and the ERISA Advisory Council. Her study on Social Security reform won the Paul Samuelson Award for "Outstanding Writing on Lifelong Financial Security" from TIAA-CREF. She has spoken before the World Economic Forum; the International Monetary Fund: the Investment Company Institute; the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans; the White House Conference on Social Security; the President's Economic Forum; and she has provided testimony to committees of the US Congress, the UK Parliament, the Australian Parliament, and the Brazilian Senate.

Selected Recent Publications

McGarry K, Mitchell OS. Perceptions of Mortality: Individual assessment of longevity risk. In: New Models for Managing Longevity Risk: Public-Private Partnerships. New Models for Managing Longevity Risk: Public-Private Partnerships. Oxford University Press; 2022. doi:10.1093/oso/9780192859808.001.0001.
Wolf DA, Mitchell OS. Disability-free life trends at older ages: Implications for longevity risk management . In: New Models for Managing Longevity Risk: Public-Private Partnerships. New Models for Managing Longevity Risk: Public-Private Partnerships. Oxford University Press; 2022. doi:10.1093/oso/9780192859808.001.0001.
Fitzpatrick MD, Mitchell OS. Does working longer enhance old age?. In: New Models for Managing Longevity Risk: Public-Private Partnerships. New Models for Managing Longevity Risk: Public-Private Partnerships. Oxford University Press; 2022. doi:10.1093/oso/9780192859808.001.0001.
Mitchell OS, Clark RL, Lusardi A. Income trajectories in later life: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing. 2022;22:100371. doi:10.1016/j.jeoa.2022.100371.
Mitchell OS, Clark RL, Lusardi A. What Explains Low Old-Age Income? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research; 2021. doi:10.3386/w28721.