Adressing longevity heterogeneity in pension scheme design

This paper demonstrates that the link between heterogeneity in longevity and lifetime income across countries is mostly high and often increasing; that it translates into an implicit tax/subsidy, with rates reaching 20 percent and higher in some countries; that such rates risk perverting redistribut...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ayuso, Mercedes, Bravo, Jorge Miguel, Holzmann, Robert
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2017
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/164061
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/164061
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Pensions a la vellesa
Longevitat
Risc (Economia)
Old age pensions
Longevity
Risk
Description
Summary:This paper demonstrates that the link between heterogeneity in longevity and lifetime income across countries is mostly high and often increasing; that it translates into an implicit tax/subsidy, with rates reaching 20 percent and higher in some countries; that such rates risk perverting redistributive objectives of pension schemes and distorting individual lifecycle labor supply and savings decisions; and that this in turn risks invalidating current reform approaches of a closer contribution-benefit link and life expectancy-indexed retirement age. The paper suggests and explores a number of interventions in the accumulation, benefit determination, and disbursement stages to address longevity' heterogeneity