Edmund Cannon and Ian Tonks
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199216994
- eISBN:
- 9780191711978
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199216994.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
Governments around the world are responding to the rising ratio of elderly-to-young persons (‘The Pensions Crisis’) by shifting their pension policies away from pay-as-you-go systems towards ...
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Governments around the world are responding to the rising ratio of elderly-to-young persons (‘The Pensions Crisis’) by shifting their pension policies away from pay-as-you-go systems towards individual savings schemes. Annuity markets convert retirement savings into an income stream for the lifetime of the pensioner, and understanding how annuity markets function is important for public policy. This book studies these annuity markets. The book starts by outlining the context of public policy towards pensions, and explains the different types of annuities available, focusing on the UK — which has the largest annuity market in the world. It examines how annuities are priced, and describes the techniques of mortality measurement. As a background, it provides a history of annuities, and the experience of annuity markets in a number of other countries. The book outlines the economic theory behind annuities, and explains how annuities insure consumers against longevity risks. It goes on to describe how annuities markets function: how they work and whether they are efficient, leading onto a discussion of the annuity puzzle, including behavioural explanations. The book concludes by discussing the regulatory framework, assets available to back annuity liabilities, and recent developments in annuity markets.Less
Governments around the world are responding to the rising ratio of elderly-to-young persons (‘The Pensions Crisis’) by shifting their pension policies away from pay-as-you-go systems towards individual savings schemes. Annuity markets convert retirement savings into an income stream for the lifetime of the pensioner, and understanding how annuity markets function is important for public policy. This book studies these annuity markets. The book starts by outlining the context of public policy towards pensions, and explains the different types of annuities available, focusing on the UK — which has the largest annuity market in the world. It examines how annuities are priced, and describes the techniques of mortality measurement. As a background, it provides a history of annuities, and the experience of annuity markets in a number of other countries. The book outlines the economic theory behind annuities, and explains how annuities insure consumers against longevity risks. It goes on to describe how annuities markets function: how they work and whether they are efficient, leading onto a discussion of the annuity puzzle, including behavioural explanations. The book concludes by discussing the regulatory framework, assets available to back annuity liabilities, and recent developments in annuity markets.
Phyllis C. Borzi and Martha Priddy Patterson
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199549108
- eISBN:
- 9780191720734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549108.003.0008
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
Soon the largest cohort of workers in history will be eligible to retire: and most will have only their personal saving and a lump-sum benefit from a 401(k) plan to supplement Social Security ...
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Soon the largest cohort of workers in history will be eligible to retire: and most will have only their personal saving and a lump-sum benefit from a 401(k) plan to supplement Social Security benefits during retirement. The proceeds of these 401(k) and IRA benefits represent the largest amount of money these individuals have ever managed, and the challenges and hazards they face are enormous. This chapter evaluates the regulatory and enforcement structures in place to protect individuals from financial loss through the insolvency, fiscal mismanagement, and/or malfeasance of those who help them manage and invest their retirement distributions.Less
Soon the largest cohort of workers in history will be eligible to retire: and most will have only their personal saving and a lump-sum benefit from a 401(k) plan to supplement Social Security benefits during retirement. The proceeds of these 401(k) and IRA benefits represent the largest amount of money these individuals have ever managed, and the challenges and hazards they face are enormous. This chapter evaluates the regulatory and enforcement structures in place to protect individuals from financial loss through the insolvency, fiscal mismanagement, and/or malfeasance of those who help them manage and invest their retirement distributions.
William F. Sharpe, Jason S. Scott, and John G. Watson
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199549108
- eISBN:
- 9780191720734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549108.003.0009
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
Today's retirees face the daunting task of determining appropriate investment and spending strategies for their accumulated savings. Financial economists have addressed their problem using an ...
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Today's retirees face the daunting task of determining appropriate investment and spending strategies for their accumulated savings. Financial economists have addressed their problem using an expected utility framework. In contrast, many financial advisors rely instead on rules of thumb. This chapter shows that some of the popular rules are inconsistent with expected utility maximization, since they subject retirees to avoidable, non-market risk. It also highlights the importance of earmarking ‘the existence of a one-to-one correspondence between investments and future spending’ and shows that a natural way to implement earmarking is to create a lockbox strategy.Less
Today's retirees face the daunting task of determining appropriate investment and spending strategies for their accumulated savings. Financial economists have addressed their problem using an expected utility framework. In contrast, many financial advisors rely instead on rules of thumb. This chapter shows that some of the popular rules are inconsistent with expected utility maximization, since they subject retirees to avoidable, non-market risk. It also highlights the importance of earmarking ‘the existence of a one-to-one correspondence between investments and future spending’ and shows that a natural way to implement earmarking is to create a lockbox strategy.
Cassio M. Turra and Olivia S. Mitchell
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199549108
- eISBN:
- 9780191720734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549108.003.0010
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
This chapter describes how differences in health status at retirement can influence the decision to purchase a life annuity. It extends previous research on annuitization decisions by incorporating ...
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This chapter describes how differences in health status at retirement can influence the decision to purchase a life annuity. It extends previous research on annuitization decisions by incorporating the effect of health differentials via differences in survival throughout the latter portion of life. It then shows how precautionary savings motivated by uncertain out-of-pocket medical expenses influence annuitization decisions. Results show that annuities become less attractive to people facing uncertain medical expenses. While full annuitization would still be optimal if annuity markets were truly complete and both life- and health-contingent, lacking this, annuity equivalent wealth values are much lower for those in poor health, as compared to persons in good health.Less
This chapter describes how differences in health status at retirement can influence the decision to purchase a life annuity. It extends previous research on annuitization decisions by incorporating the effect of health differentials via differences in survival throughout the latter portion of life. It then shows how precautionary savings motivated by uncertain out-of-pocket medical expenses influence annuitization decisions. Results show that annuities become less attractive to people facing uncertain medical expenses. While full annuitization would still be optimal if annuity markets were truly complete and both life- and health-contingent, lacking this, annuity equivalent wealth values are much lower for those in poor health, as compared to persons in good health.
John Ameriks, Andrew Caplin, Steven Laufer, and Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199549108
- eISBN:
- 9780191720734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549108.003.0011
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
Financial security in retirement has traditionally meant having a steady flow of annuity income as long as one lives — a definition enshrined in the Social Security system. Earlier research has ...
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Financial security in retirement has traditionally meant having a steady flow of annuity income as long as one lives — a definition enshrined in the Social Security system. Earlier research has stressed a more holistic approach, which focuses on the match between resources and spending needs. Using this formulation this chapter estimates annuity values given long-term care concerns and bequest motives, where these estimated values are consistent with low observed demand for standard annuities. The chapter extends this model to value non-standard annuities with various security-enhancing features that may be of value to retirees.Less
Financial security in retirement has traditionally meant having a steady flow of annuity income as long as one lives — a definition enshrined in the Social Security system. Earlier research has stressed a more holistic approach, which focuses on the match between resources and spending needs. Using this formulation this chapter estimates annuity values given long-term care concerns and bequest motives, where these estimated values are consistent with low observed demand for standard annuities. The chapter extends this model to value non-standard annuities with various security-enhancing features that may be of value to retirees.
Moshe A. Milevsky and Vladyslav Kyrychenko
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199549108
- eISBN:
- 9780191720734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549108.003.0012
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
The latest generation of variable annuity contracts contains equity options plus longevity insurance, sometimes thought to be attractive to purchasers willing to take on financial risk. This chapter ...
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The latest generation of variable annuity contracts contains equity options plus longevity insurance, sometimes thought to be attractive to purchasers willing to take on financial risk. This chapter examines whether this is indeed the case. Using a unique database, it documents that policyholders do in fact adopt higher equity exposures when these riders are selected. It also examines the theoretical merits of the marketing advice, by deriving the optimal asset allocation in the presence of these guarantees. The chapter concludes that more aggressive equity allocations can indeed be justified in many, although not all, product structures.Less
The latest generation of variable annuity contracts contains equity options plus longevity insurance, sometimes thought to be attractive to purchasers willing to take on financial risk. This chapter examines whether this is indeed the case. Using a unique database, it documents that policyholders do in fact adopt higher equity exposures when these riders are selected. It also examines the theoretical merits of the marketing advice, by deriving the optimal asset allocation in the presence of these guarantees. The chapter concludes that more aggressive equity allocations can indeed be justified in many, although not all, product structures.
Igor Balevich
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199592609
- eISBN:
- 9780191594618
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592609.003.0010
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
Steadily improving mortality rates are boosting pension liabilities, and plan managers are starting to evaluate ways to handle this exposure. The authors explore the impact of increasing longevity on ...
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Steadily improving mortality rates are boosting pension liabilities, and plan managers are starting to evaluate ways to handle this exposure. The authors explore the impact of increasing longevity on pension plans, and what can be done about it. Responses include plan design changes, transferring this risk to an insurance company, and development of strategies to hedge this risk without completely eliminating it.Less
Steadily improving mortality rates are boosting pension liabilities, and plan managers are starting to evaluate ways to handle this exposure. The authors explore the impact of increasing longevity on pension plans, and what can be done about it. Responses include plan design changes, transferring this risk to an insurance company, and development of strategies to hedge this risk without completely eliminating it.
John Ameriks, Michael Hess, and Liqian Ren
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199592609
- eISBN:
- 9780191594618
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592609.003.0011
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Pensions and Pension Management
This chapter describes and evaluates alternative approaches to spending in retirement, including income annuities, common rules of thumb for spending used by financial planners and advisors, and the ...
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This chapter describes and evaluates alternative approaches to spending in retirement, including income annuities, common rules of thumb for spending used by financial planners and advisors, and the spending rules that have been incorporated into payout funds, a relatively new type of investment product designed to be used by investors in the spending stage of life.Less
This chapter describes and evaluates alternative approaches to spending in retirement, including income annuities, common rules of thumb for spending used by financial planners and advisors, and the spending rules that have been incorporated into payout funds, a relatively new type of investment product designed to be used by investors in the spending stage of life.
Brigitte Dormont, Joaquim Oliveira Martins, Florian Pelgrin, and Marc Suhrcke
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199587131
- eISBN:
- 9780191595370
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199587131.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics, Public and Welfare
This chapter deals with demographic facts. Ageing trends are the result of two different and contrasted phenomena: the change from a high to a low fertility regime and the increase in longevity. The ...
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This chapter deals with demographic facts. Ageing trends are the result of two different and contrasted phenomena: the change from a high to a low fertility regime and the increase in longevity. The baby boom and subsequent fertility bust was a massive but transitory shock. In contrast, the smooth and steady increase in longevity does look like a permanent shock. The critical condition for these potential longevity gains to materialise in longer working lives is a dynamic equilibrium between the increase in life expectancy and the number of years in good health (the so-called ‘healthy ageing’ regime).Less
This chapter deals with demographic facts. Ageing trends are the result of two different and contrasted phenomena: the change from a high to a low fertility regime and the increase in longevity. The baby boom and subsequent fertility bust was a massive but transitory shock. In contrast, the smooth and steady increase in longevity does look like a permanent shock. The critical condition for these potential longevity gains to materialise in longer working lives is a dynamic equilibrium between the increase in life expectancy and the number of years in good health (the so-called ‘healthy ageing’ regime).
David T. Lamb
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231478
- eISBN:
- 9780191710841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231478.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter investigates the incongruity of Dtr's evil evaluations of Jehu' s heirs with their favourable portrayals in the source material. Instead of examining each of Jehu's heirs separately, the ...
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This chapter investigates the incongruity of Dtr's evil evaluations of Jehu' s heirs with their favourable portrayals in the source material. Instead of examining each of Jehu's heirs separately, the chapter discusses them topically, beginning with Dtr's evil evaluations of them, then their royal longevity and their military success. The chapter then summarizes how Dtr's bias against Jehu' s heirs explains why rulers with positive descriptions are condemned as evil.Less
This chapter investigates the incongruity of Dtr's evil evaluations of Jehu' s heirs with their favourable portrayals in the source material. Instead of examining each of Jehu's heirs separately, the chapter discusses them topically, beginning with Dtr's evil evaluations of them, then their royal longevity and their military success. The chapter then summarizes how Dtr's bias against Jehu' s heirs explains why rulers with positive descriptions are condemned as evil.
