The US retirement system gets a C+ in global study

So much for American exceptionalism when it comes to retirement.

The US earned just a C+ for its retirement system in the 16th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index, coming in 29th out of 48 countries. Since the index's inception in 2009, the US retirement system has never surpassed a C+.

The big anchors on the American grade include concerns over pension funding and shortfalls in private retirement savings. Like most countries across the globe, the US retirement system must withstand the double whammy of dropping fertility rates and increasing life expectancy.

"It's not just Americans, it's a global problem," Holly Verdeyen, Mercer’s US defined contribution leader, told Yahoo Finance. "The imbalance between retired and working people continues to grow…coupled with increasing lifespans."

Only four countries — the Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark, and Israel — earned an A ranking for their retirement systems, providing key lessons on how to shore up our system. India came in last. Provisions from Secure 2.0 that go into effect next year could also address some of our shortcomings.

The problems in the US

The index examined more than 50 indicators to rank each country's retirement system by adequacy, sustainability, and integrity. Overall, the researchers considered what benefits retirees receive now, if the system could last amid demographic changes, and if private retirement plans are regulated to encourage long-term confidence.

This year, the index score for the US decreased to 60.4 from 63.0, putting it in the same grade tier as the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Spain, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia, though each of those countries had a higher overall score. The United States earned a C+ for adequacy and a C each for the sustainability and integrity of its retirement system.

Drilling down, the largest dilemmas for the US come from pensions and private retirement savings accounts, major sources of income for American retirees.

Let's start with pensions, which are not nearly as prevalent as they were a generation ago. Still, 21% of workers have one through their employer.

A pension pays out a benefit for a certain amount of time, such as through the end of a person's life, or, in some cases, even longer if a surviving spouse qualifies for continued benefits. Because people are living longer, those receiving benefits will be getting that money "for significantly longer than initially forecast today," Verdeyen said. "That's one thing."