Too many Americans are not on track to reach a financially secure retirement. This is especially true for younger generations preparing to enter the workforce or who are starting their careers. In fact, 41% of young adults between ages 24 and 35 do not take advantage of or contribute to their employer sponsored retirement plan. Yet many remain unaware of the extent of the problem–until now. To get people listening, TIAA, a leading provider of secure retirements, teamed up with some of hip-hop’s biggest names to create an anthem that spotlights savings and retirement gaps while also combatting them.
TIAA joined forces with hip-hop legend and founding member of the Fugees, Wyclef Jean, on a new track titled “Paper Right,” featuring Pusha T, Lola Brooke, Capella Grey, and Flau’jae, to inspire younger generations to consider their financial legacy and ability to retire, leveraging music as a powerful medium. Hip-hop has a long and storied history of shining a light on challenges disproportionately impacting Black Americans. TIAA’s #RetireInequality campaign has drawn attention to retirement and savings gaps experienced by Black Americans, including the fact that 54% of Black Americans do not have enough money saved to maintain their standard of living in retirement, contributing to America’s retirement crisis.
“Music possesses an extraordinary ability to elevate awareness, inspire, and drive conversation among key audiences – including younger generations. While retirement may feel far away for younger Americans, the reality is that having these conversations now can help them achieve a financially secure future,” said Zara Mirza, Chief Brand Officer, TIAA. “The goal is for “Paper Right” to have real impact and spark thought among those starting in their careers to consider their financial future and retirement.”
“Paper Right is about building a financial legacy for future generations and the reward and gratification this brings. The most important thing I hope people take away from the song and my partnership with TIAA is that saving earlier can set you and your family up for long-term success,” said Wyclef Jean, founding member of the Fugees. “As a father, when I look at my financial legacy and impact, I want to make sure my daughter is taken care of and has the tools needed to understand why saving early and preparing for the future is crucial.”
“Paper Right” sparks essential conversations around retirement and encourages action to help close retirement gaps, improve financial education and literacy, and retire inequality for good. TIAA is working with First Generation Investors (FGI), a not-for-profit dedicated to empowering underserved high school students with investing literacy. Streaming the track will automatically donate 100% of the song’s sales to FGI to support financial education and investing literacy for future generations.
“First Generation Investors is an organization dedicated to providing underserved high school students with the financial knowledge and tools needed to take control of their financial futures,” said Stephanie Pressley, Executive Director of FGI. “We are thrilled to partner with TIAA to retire inequality as these efforts closely align with our mission. Through the sales of “Paper Right,” we can help the youth we serve to secure a better retirement, helping to close the retirement gap and lift future generations.”
