Australia has a required retirement savings program called Superannuation. The savings can be invested in any number of approved funds. Wisely, most of these funds are invested in income producing physical assets, rather than stocks.
ato.gov.au
The Maquarie Bank is the largest Superannuation funds manager. They have used the funds to purchase or build tunnels, airports, toll roads, sewerage systems and other infrastructure facilities in Australia, Europe and the United States. They're currently the lead bidder to purchase the international airport in Bombay India.
Here in California, Macquarie owns the toll-roads in Orange County. Orange County's bankrupt status made this the best way to build the much needed highways.
America could have chosen to do the same with our Social Security contributions, but instead decided to pay for tax-cuts, dubious military forays in various areas around the globe, in addition to business and farm subsidies to lower the cost of airplanes, food and many other items to anyone around the world who would buy them - sort of a global welfare program. My only question is why?
Apart from Social Security, America previously had a private "forced savings" program until Reagan radically changed the tax law in 1987.
Prior to Reagan, if Americans wanted a lower tax rate they could obtain it by investing in the future. When you invested in stocks, an apartment building, oil and gas wells or any number of other investments then your gains were taxed at a lower capital gains rate. After the 1987 Reagan tax adjustments the incentive to save for the future was sharply diminished with obvious results.
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