Pension Knowledge Research Articles

Do online pension dashboards affect pension knowledge and expectations? Evidence from a randomized survey experiment

Do online pension dashboards affect pension knowledge and expectations? Evidence from a randomized survey experiment

ERG 이론을 바탕으로 한 바이마장족(白马藏族)지역사회 환경 의 고령친화적 개선 방안 연구

The elderly in rural areas are faced with the dilemma of poor community environment, weak social communication ability and insufficient pension knowledge reserve. In addition, due to the serious shortage of social security facilities in rural areas and medical resources, the elderly are struggling, and the suicide rate is far higher than that in urban areas. In order to make the elderly have a comfortable pension environment and face the increasingly serious aging problem with a positive attitude, this paper takes the community environment of the Baima Tibetan elderly in Tielou Township, Gansu Province as the research object of aging transformation. First of all, literature data were used to carry out research on the aging transformation in rural areas. On the basis of sorting out previous research topics, ERG theory was determined as the guide. Secondly, the research methods of on-site investigation, interview and other research methods are adopted to investigate the number of left-behind elderly people in this area, and classify them according to the national standards. At the same time, the image of the current situation of the community environment of the elderly. Finally, combined with the ERG theory, the transformation design of the elderly living environment is implemented, mainly from the three aspects of survival, mutual relationship and growth.

Pension knowledge in Chile and regional development characteristics

AbstractPension systems increasingly require active involvement from their participants for retirement planning. This leads to the need for a proper level of financial literacy to foster decision-making. Based on the Chilean Social Protection Survey and the Regional Development Index data, specific characteristics related to the region of residence, such as the quality of life, access to job opportunities, and available connectivity tools, are seen to have a positive impact on pension knowledge. Hence, these regional level results provide inputs to policymakers for developing appropriate policies regarding pension knowledge.

Who Lacks Pension Knowledge, Why and Does it Matter? Evidence From Swedish Retirement Savers

Recent pension reforms have shifted a larger responsibility towards savers. Individuals therefore need better knowledge of the rules and incentives embedded in the pension system to adequately save and prepare for retirement. In this paper, we use a novel Swedish survey matched with high-quality administrative data to show that many lack, and feel that they lack, such pension-specific knowledge. We also show that the most economically vulnerable groups know the least. Linking pension knowledge to behavior, we find that knowing less is associated with lower preparedness for retirement, even after controlling for financial literacy and subjective knowledge. Moreover, a large majority state the complexity of the pension system, or that they have planned to learn more about pensions but that it just hasn’t happened, as reasons for why they do not have sufficient knowledge.

Generation Y’s Intention to Invest in Retirement Planning

Investing in retirement planning is vital to prepare for life after the retirement period when there is no active income. This is because relying solely on saving or pension fund is not enough to sustain future retirement period due to an increment of life expectancy, inflation, and living costs. This paper aims to help Generation Y and parties involved understand the behavioral trait and psychological biases taking a role in influencing their intention to invest for retirement in Malaysia. The study also helps Generation Y to recognize the importance of early retirement preparation. The paper is written according to the knowledge of financial planning, retirement planning, and investment planning. 500 survey questionnaires were distributed both physically and online, and only 240 responses collected. After data pre-screening, 232 responses were valid to use for further analysis. Findings revealed that subjective norms, attitude, pension knowledge, and trust towards online financial service have a positive impact on the intention of Generation Y to actively invest for retirement. Subjective norm was the most important factor, whereas trust was the least important factor. Overall, an individual's behavioral traits play a huge role in positively influencing Generation Y's intention to invest in Malaysia's retirement fund. Generalizations of these findings are expectedly limited Gen Y in Klang Valley; it does limit the generalizability of the results for all people in Malaysia. Despite limitations, the results can provide some theoretically and practically implications whereby financial companies and the policymaker should focus on promoting the investment in retirement planning for all people in Malaysia but not limited to Gen Y.

The role of pension knowledge in voluntary pension and banking savings in Chile

PurposeIn an era of increasing financial vulnerability, people are not saving enough to either fund their future pension benefits or having precautionary savings. The authors propose that pension knowledge makes people increase their probability of having voluntary pension and banking savings.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the social protection survey in Chile, a unique set of panel data for affiliates in 2006 and 2009. First, the authors use clustering algorithms to find naturally occurring groupings in the level of pension knowledge. Second, the authors run a probit regression model for explaining the probability of having a voluntary pension and banking savings, using as determinants the level of pension knowledge and several control variables that are usually explored in the literature.FindingsThe authors find two clusters of pension knowledge in the Chilean pension system. In addition, the authors find that there is a positive correlation between high pension knowledge and good financial decision-making, as these people have voluntary retirement and banking savings.Practical implicationsAs people who spend time planning accumulate more wealth, it is important to develop public policies that promote the advantages to know better about the benefits of having voluntary savings for the long-term horizon. Conscientious people are also more likely to have voluntary savings.Social implicationsPolicy programs to increase to be responsible can have positive effects on society's welfare.Originality/valueUp to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that connects clustering algorithms and pension knowledge.

A Fistful of Dollars: Financial Incentives, Peer Information, and Retirement Savings

Abstract To understand what motivates individuals to look at their pension situation and make adequate savings decisions, we conduct two field experiments with 226,946 and 257,433 pension fund participants. We find peer-information statements do not increase the rate at which individuals check their pension information, but lottery-type financial incentives do. Offering a few large prizes rather than many small prizes is most effective. However, the uptake of pension information does not lead to improved pension knowledge nor to increased self-reported savings three weeks after our intervention. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.

The Impact of Framing and Anchoring on Postponing Labour Market Exit – Evidence from Polish NDC+FDC Pension Scheme

Purpose: The article examines whether the level of effective retirement age can be shifted upwards by increasing awareness of the consequences of premature retirement. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses multinomial logistic regression on the representative survey data for Polish working population. Special interest is given to the questionnaire with framing and anchoring effects included. Findings: The findings reveal strong retirement preferences of a minimum retirement age being the reference point and the natural anchor. However, these might change once framing is provided. Pension awareness is a significant predictor of postponing retirement. There can be distinguished a segment of working population with extremely low pension literacy. Practical Implications: Increasing effective retirement age is among most important factors reducing labour supply deficits and improving long-term sustainability of public finance. Special interest should be given to rational individuals with wrong assumptions on the mechanics of the pension scheme and individuals with extremely low pension knowledge in order to avoid severe old-age poverty. Originality/value: The study confirms that use of framing in increasing financial literacy leads to significant postponement of the labour market exit declared. Furthermore, there is a segment of the Polish working population with extremely low pension knowledge which should be educated.

AWARENESS ON PENSION PLANS-A STUDY OF INVESTORS’ IN BENGALURU CITY

Individuals make inconsistent, irrational financial decisions mainly due to disproportionate time preferences. Bias and procrastination prevail. Along with a default option, there is a need for a customized plan with individuals' socio-cultural and economic status. Low participation rates are mainly due to a lack of awareness of pension literacy and behavioral aspects. Individuals have failed to create a corpus to protect themselves for retirement as there is a lack of awareness to suitability of a plan to one’s situation, failure to measure income adequacy at retirement, not able to identify the link between contributions made and pension drawdown, etc. Age and gender differences prevail strongly. Defined contribution plans are likely to dominate in global pension model in the years to come. Individuals are ready to own their risk but have little control and knowledge to cover themselves. Frequent timely and prompt advice or counseling from investment advisors will enable participants to understand the need, identify suitable options and schemes, and provide themselves with sustainable long-term savings. This should convert willingness to participate to real participation. 
 Keywords: Financial literacy, Pension knowledge, Defined contribution pension plans (DCP), irrational decision making, demographics.

Pension Knowledge and the Effectiveness of Pension Reforms

This study examines how knowledge about institutional settings and their reform affects the effectiveness of those reforms. We examine this question in the context of social security, the largest social insurance program in Europe, by exploiting time and cross-country variation in pension regulations in seven European countries. We show that many individuals are not well informed about the pension rules applicable to them and that individuals with lower education and lower numeracy skills fail to update their knowledge when affected by pension reforms. Moreover, the effect of pension reforms on individuals‘ labour supply decisions is driven by well-informed individuals. This is the first study to separate information gathering from labour supply decision making, thus providing a causal link between the knowledge of pension rules and individuals‘ labour supply behaviour. Pension policies could potentially be more effective if individuals were adequately informed. German Abstract: In dieser Studie untersuchen wir, wie sich der individuelle Wissensstand uber gesetzliche Regelungen und deren Reformen auf die Wirksamkeit dieser Reformen auswirkt. Wir untersuchen diese Frage im Kontext von Rentensystemen (den grosten Sozialversicherungszweigen in Europa), indem wir die Variation in den Rentensystemen in sieben europaischen Landern analysieren. Wir zeigen, dass viele Personen unzureichend uber die fur sie geltenden Rentenregelungen informiert sind. Insbesondere Personen mit niedrigem Bildungsstand und geringen Rechenkenntnissen erkennen nicht, wenn sich durch Reformen Anderungen fur sie ergeben. Reformeffekte auf das Arbeitsangebot werden masgeblich von gut informierten Einzelpersonen getrieben. Dies ist die erste Studie, die Informationsgewinnung und Entscheidungen uber das Arbeitsangebot voneinander trennt. So konnen wir den kausalen Effekt von Wissensstand uber Rentensysteme auf das individuelle Arbeitsangebotsverhalten bestimmen. Rentenpolitik konnte effektiver sein, wenn Individuen besser informiert wurden.

Pension communication, knowledge, and behaviour

AbstractMany recent pension reforms require individuals to make more decisions on supplementary savings, investment choices, etc. Governments and the pension industry try to assist individuals through pension communication but little is known about the effectiveness of such policies. This paper uses Dutch longitudinal data to analyse the causal links between communication, pension knowledge, and conscious pension decision-making. A robust finding is that pension knowledge has a positive causal effect on active pension decision-making. Providing an annual pension statement might have a small positive effect on pension knowledge, but this result is sensitive to the identifying assumptions.

The role of financial literacy in retirement investment choice

Research background: Preparation for retirement is a major concern for the people in the workforce as they have to encounter considerable difficulties in making the right investment decisions for their retirement.
 Purpose of the article: This research extends the literature on personal finance by investigating the impact of both financial literacy levels and pension knowledge on employees? investment choice decision for their retirement, while in previous literature the role of these factors has mainly been explored separately. 
 Methods: To conduct the research, a survey questionnaire was applied to collect data in three main regions of Vietnam comprising Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam. Data collection was made in 2018, in which 427 valid questionnaires were used for data analysis from 700 questionnaires. Two estimation methods are employed for analysis in this study, including a linear probability model (LPM) and two-stage least squares (2SLS) model. The findings of this research remain significant after the Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression model is used as an estimation technique to eliminate potential bias caused by endogenous problems.
 Finding & Value added: The results show that basic financial literacy level and pension knowledge are principal factors which significantly increase the probability of exercising retirement investment choice of employees, while advanced financial literacy level factor has a significant effect on choosing growth investing options for their retirement. Further, this research finds that there is no correlation between employees? financial risk tolerance and their retirement investment choice. Furthermore, the study proposes and offers new evidence that pension knowledge is a decisive factor providing employees with encouragement to exercise retirement investment choice and those who consult with financial advisors tend to take part in growth investing option.

Redistribution of individual pension wealth to survivor pensions: Evidence from a stated preferences analysis

Pension schemes in the Netherlands allow workers to redistribute their own pension wealth to increase the survivor pension of their partner. However, due to lacking communication and knowledge of survivor pensions among workers, and also due to the lack of transparent products and choice architecture, redistribution remains limited. This paper uses a stated preferences experiment that is explicitly designed for workers with a partner in the age group of 55 to 65 years to elicit their pension redistribution preferences. We find that, on average, the preferred pension wealth redistribution amounts to 50%. 35% of all individuals have such a preference. 33% of all individuals would prefer less redistribution, and 32% percent prefers to redistribute more pension income to the partner upon one's death. We further show that total family income during working life does not affect the redistribution to survivor pensions. However, the distribution of the contribution to total family income before retirement across partners, as well as the survival likelihood of the partner and the number of years the partner is expected to survive, have a significant causal impact on the preferred pension redistribution decision. The preference for redistribution to survivor pensions also depends significantly on personal characteristics, preferences and social attitude. Males have a significantly stronger preference for redistribution compared to females. Moreover, forward-looking, more risk averse and more altruistic individuals have a stronger preference to redistribute part of their pension wealth to a survivor pension. Finally, in particular when employees have the perception that their partner is more forward looking, they are willing to invest more in a survivor pension.

University students and retirement planning: never too early

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main predictors of university students’ intention to invest in a pension fund: an understanding of how young people perceive retirement planning is relevant for its policy implications. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) proposed by Ajzen (1985) which explains how human behaviour is guided, and provides a framework to explore the underlying beliefs that affect one’s behaviours. Findings The evidence on a sample of Italian university students highlights that the TPB predictors, pension knowledge, money management and the highest level of financial literacy, positively influence their intention to invest in a pension fund. Research limitations/implications Although the authors are aware of the limitations of the analysis (limited to a specific country and to a specific financial product), the authors believe that the study has the merit of offering a number of ideas for further research. In fact, there are few contributions in the literature that identify the intention of young people to save for retirement. The study sheds light on this important issue. However, because it is limited to Italian university students, its findings cannot be generalised. Practical implications The study can be used by regulators, financial educators, counsellors and public institutions to increase the propensity of young people to plan for their future and guide them towards attitudes and behaviours most likely to increase their savings for retirement. Social implications The evidence suggests that regulators, institutions and educators should improve the information that is provided to families first and to the younger generations – at school, for instance – about the functioning of the pension system. The survey’s findings emphasise that university students are generally unaware of the many reforms to the system while believing that their state pensions will be sufficient to maintain a retirement standard of living that is the same as the standard of living achieved during their working lives. Originality/value In the authors’ knowledge, there are not studies that focus on the youngs’ intention to invest in a pension fund. The authors believe that millennials are the most hitted by the Fornero’s reform and understand which predictors affect this intention can allow to drive the decision in investing in these important financial tools.

Redistribution of Individual Pension Wealth to Survivor Pensions: Evidence from a Stated Preferences Analysis

Pension schemes in the Netherlands allow workers to redistribute their own pension wealth to increase the survivor pension of their partner. However, due to lacking communication and knowledge of survivor pensions among workers, and also due to the lack of transparent products and choice architecture, redistribution remains limited. This paper uses a stated preferences experiment that is explicitly designed for workers with a partner in the age group of 55 to 65 years to elicit their pension redistribution preferences. We find that, on average, the preferred pension wealth redistribution amounts to 50%. 35% of all individuals have such a preference. 33% of all individuals would prefer less redistribution, and 32% percent prefers to redistribute more pension income to the partner upon one's death. We further show that total family income during working life does not affect the redistribution to survivor pensions. However, the distribution of the contribution to total family income before retirement across partners, as well as the survival likelihood of the partner and the number of years the partner is expected to survive, have a significant causal impact on the preferred pension redistribution decision. The preference for redistribution to survivor pensions also depends significantly on personal characteristics, preferences and social attitude. Males have a significantly stronger preference for redistribution compared to females. Moreover, forward-looking, more risk averse and more altruistic individuals have a stronger preference to redistribute part of their pension wealth to a survivor pension. Finally, in particular when employees have the perception that their partner is more forward looking, they are willing to invest more in a survivor pension.

Pension Communication in the Netherlands and Other Countries

In many countries, pension reforms reduce the generosity of collective pensions and shift the responsibility for an adequate standard of living after retirement to individuals and their households. Individuals have to make more decisions than before on supplementary pension savings, on how to invest their DC pension assets, etc. Making such decisions is challenging, since retirement planning requires intertemporal decision-making under uncertainty and is subject to behavioural and psychological biases. Many studies in different countries have shown that the large majority lack the interest, knowledge, or skills to make such decisions in a way that is in their own best interest. Governments and the pension industry try to assist individuals in making the right decisions through pension communication. This paper focuses on experiences with pension communication, and the lessons to be learned from them. First, the paper provides an overview of the literature, addressing how pension communication is organized across countries and what can be said about its efficiency. Second, using Dutch longitudinal data at the individual level, we analyse the relations between communication (receiving an annual pension overview), pension knowledge, and conscious pension decision-making. We investigate associations and aim at estimating causal effects exploiting the timing of events.

Pension Freedom Day in the United Kingdom: Early evaluation of consumer response

AbstractUnderstanding decumulation decisions in retirement is an important component of public policy that influences pension regulations in aging societies. This research examined a recent, substantial change to pension regulation in the United Kingdom: the newly established flexibility to obtain a lump‐sum payout from personal or occupational pension savings. Conducting an online survey of individual’s eligible to take advantage of the Pension Freedom regulation, we find that almost half of study participants plan to obtain a lump‐sum payout, on average £33,741, intending it for an average of three different investments or purchases. The decision to obtain a lump‐sum withdrawal was related to better knowledge of the new regulation. It was also more likely among older respondents and those not worried about a decline in standard of living during retirement. Dispositional measures did not affect the lump‐sum decision. Close to one‐third of study participants still planned to invest retirement savings into an annuity, especially those who retire at a later age, have concerns about care costs and worry about decline in standard of living in retirement. Comments about the changes to pension regulation were slightly more positive than negative. From our analysis of the effect of the Pension Freedom regulation on savings decumulation decisions, we conclude that the new Pension Freedom regulations do meet consumer demands, and demonstrate that pension knowledge and retirement expectations, in particular, influence consumer evaluations. We further conclude that annuity investments continue to play a role for older adults in the United Kingdom, especially for those concerned about meeting financial needs during retirement.

Are financial retirement incentives more effective if pension knowledge is high?

AbstractWe study the combined effects of financial incentives and information provision on retirement behavior. To elicit preferences for retirement timing in the laboratory, we ask subjects to make retirement choices under different payoff schemes that introduce variation in financial incentives. Testing ceteris paribus conditions of the financial incentive alone shows a considerable delay of retirement once early retirement becomes financially less attractive. However, varying available information as another treatment parameter reveals considerable heterogeneity in the functioning of these incentives. Subjects who are explicitly informed about the expected pension wealth respond more strongly to financial incentives compared with those who only know their pension annuity. Being informed about a forward-looking measure of pension benefits makes the financial consequences of retirement choices more salient to the decision maker.

Pensions planning in the UK: A gendered challenge

Gender differences in the accumulation of pension savings are well documented. Work in this field has concluded that while differing lifetime work profiles (and family history) explained much of the difference, other factors such as pension knowledge and confidence in decision-making, may also be significant. This research, commissioned by the Fawcett Society and funded by Scottish Widows, explores some of these factors through the use of 30 semi-structured interviews and a focus group with women (aged 24–39) about their attitudes and motivations towards pension saving. It concentrates on discussions around pension knowledge, advice and decision-making, and identifies challenges in relation to women’s pension knowledge and the use of male ‘role models’ in making decisions. The article then explores potential policy mechanisms to enhance women’s pension saving for retirement, including the manner in which information and advice is provided and strategies to improve confidence in pension decision-making.

Financial Incentives Beat Social Norms: A Field Experiment on Retirement Information Search

To understand what motivates individuals to become informed about their pension situation, we conducted two field experiments with 245,712 and 257,433 pension fund participants, respectively. We find that lottery-type financial incentives to visit an online personal pension planner are cost effective and increase the rate at which individuals check their pension information. This uptake of pension information led to improved pension knowledge and increased savings behavior three weeks after our intervention. Offering a few large prizes rather than many small prizes is most effective, and financial incentives work when used repeatedly.