The forecasts about the collapse of the retirement systems worldwide are multiplying. In the United States, it seems that the tipping point has almost been reached, and that the system will tend to run out of funding (of course, if regulations and trends persist). Unless contributions increase or Social Security benefits are cut, the precise year of the crash would be 2035, according to trust fund analysts. Will most people live more than 100 years? And if so, how will the retirements be financed?

Catherine Dumont is an author and historian. Named as Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History, her research interests include the construction of racial identity and class structures.