by Natalie Vernon

As much as it pains my Norwegian heritage to admit, Sweden has an impressive and progressive pension system. In Monday's Wall Street Journal, the Politics and Economics section featured an article on Sweden's program's growing audience as more and more European countries find themselves saddled with as much as one-third of their populations over the age of sixty. While Swedish workers only contribute 2.5 percent of their salaries into a personal account, it's certainly a start.

The program's progressive aspect comes from the direct connection the Swedes make between benefits and the amount of time spent in the workforce. When you retire, you receive a payout based on how long you worked and the salary you received, as well as life-expectancy rates and the overall health of the economy. As Ohio State University professor points out in the article: "It puts the cost of aging onto the individual, rather than onto society."

Who would have thought that once you make the pension system based on the individual's contribution to the system, people would be more productive and retire later? I think the United States should hurry up and get with the program.