Comparing Retirement in France and the US Amidst Pension Protests.

French workers, activists, students and political opposition parties on Tuesday took part in nationwide strikes and demonstrations over changes to the country's retirement system. President Emmanuel Macron recently forced through a controversial plan to raise the retirement age in France from 62 to 64. In the U.S., retirement income can come from a combination of Social Security benefits, company-sponsored programs such as a 401(k), an individual retirement account (IRA), profit-sharing schemes or another type of private, tax-advantageous retirement savings plan. The average Social Security retirement benefit in 2023 is an estimated $1,827 a month, according to AARP. The average monthly state pension payment in France is about $1,327, according to France's Centre of European and International Liaisons for Social Security, or Cleiss.