The Tax Consequences of Long‐Run Pension Policy*

A firm's pension fund is legally separate from the firm. But because pension benefits are normally independent of fund performance, pension assets impact the firm very much as if they were firm assets. Because they are worth more when times are good and less when times are bad, common stocks in the pension fund add to the sponsoring firm's leverage. They cause contributions to a pension fund to be high just when the firm can least afford to pay them. Conversely, bonds in the pension fund will make it easier for the firm to avoid default on its own bonds when times are bad all over: The more bonds a pension fund buys, the more the firm can borrow. The tax treatment accorded the pension fund differs notably from that accorded the firm. Some have argued that a firm can capitalize on the difference by accelerating the funding of its pension plan. The benefits of full funding are wasted, however, unless the added contributions to the fund are invested in bonds; higher pension contributions now mean lower contributions later, hence higher taxes later. The benefits come from earning, after taxes, the pretax interest rate on the bonds in the pension fund. If the firm wants to take advantage of the differing tax treatment of bonds without altering the level of its current pension contributions, it can (1) sell stocks in the pension fund and then buy bonds with the proceeds while (2) issuing debt in the firm and buying back its own shares with the proceeds. An investment in the firm's own stock creates no more tax liability than an investment in stocks through the pension fund.     

Compensation for the child and old-age dependency burdens in a declining population: a discussion paper

Current problems in population and family policy center around social security provisions for the aged in view of a declining birth rate. The financial burden for children and aged are not 2 aspects of the same problem but should be viewed as 2 separate problems. In the so-called "generation contract" the aged are supported by the current crop of wage-earners who in turn will be supported by the next generation. This puts the current wage earners at a disadvantage since they also must produce the next generation. With today's system there will be a maldistribution; the system favors childless couples and discriminates against childbearing women who spend less time in the labor market, hence have fewer pension contributions. The solution of future problems must be sought with today's parents. This solution should maintain self-responsibility of the insured through the "generation contract," whereby the pension contribution should be tied to the net income, future pensions should be taxed. Contributions from wage earners should be proportionate; i.e., tied to the number of children per family, whereby childless couples contribute a larger percentage than those with 2 or more children. This system would have an automatic stabilizing action. Some kind of compensation, in the form of a pension during child rearing years, could be provided to mothers. The correct amount of child support is also a problem. It should not be tied to income; all families should receive equal child support but income should be taxed in normal fashion. Rather than direct support the state should consider goal-directed aid to children. Besides state aid for education and child health care such aid should consider vocational education to prepare children for their later societal responsibilities. Protection against child abuse and child-oriented traffic regulations make more sense than global increase in child support to families. Compulsary school attendance, improved standards for preschool teachers and financing of work exemption for mothers with young children are all more productive measures than monetary aid.     

基本养老保险制度下女性养老金水平研究——兼析养老金性别差异

基本养老保险制度运行10多年来,在提供退休保障方面发挥了重要的积极作用。但女性养老金问题值得高度重视。其中,女性退休年龄是影响养老金水平的重要因素,还带来了养老金性别差异。女性退休年龄已经与政策目标以及预期寿命不符,对既不利于保障退休生活,也不利于制度的健康持续发展。从国际比较看,我国女性退休年龄低于国际及亚太地区平均水平,而养老金替代率的性别差异也明显大于国际水平。因此,应在统筹考虑我国养老金体系建设的前提下,抓紧研究论证提高退休年龄,特别是先行逐步提高女性退休年龄的方式方法。     

Support for pension reforms: What is the role of financial literacy and pension knowledge?

Despite the relevance of the issue of pension system sustainability in most advanced economies, the factors associated with the opposition to pension reforms are still under-studied. In this paper, we investigate the correlation between financial, pension and institutional knowledge and support for pension reforms. Using an ad hoc module of the SHARE data for Italy, we find that financially literate and pension knowledgeable individuals are more willing to accept pension reforms. In particular, individuals with a basic level of pension knowledge recognize that population ageing, low economic growth, and low contributions by the young make the public pension system hardly sustainable.     

Pension Funding Regulations and Actuarial Gains and Losses

With pervasive pension funding deficits, Korean firms have been under pressure to improve their funding levels. We examine whether firms have incentives to set obligation‐decreasing pension assumptions when they have large pension deficits (pension obligations in excess of plan assets) and when they make insufficient contributions to external pension funds. We find that firms report larger actuarial gains (or smaller actuarial losses) associated with the remeasurement of pension liabilities when their pension funding ratio (the ratio of the fair value of plan assets to defined benefit obligations) is lower and when contributions to plan assets relative to pension service costs are smaller. Next, upon the introduction of a minimum pension funding guideline, we find that the effect of the funding ratio and contributions to pension funds on actuarial gains and losses is more pronounced for firms whose funding ratios are slightly below the minimum funding ratio than it is for firms whose funding ratios exceed or fall short of the minimum by a large margin. Our results indicate that firms opportunistically exercise discretion regarding corporate pension accounting under International Financial Reporting Standards to comply with pension funding regulations, thereby reducing perceived pension deficits.     

延迟退休对城镇职工养老保险收支影响的净效应估计——基于2025年起渐进式延迟退休年龄的假设

鉴于延迟退休对养老金收支有多重影响,本文假定2025年起以"每4年延迟1年"节奏,逐步将男(女)养老金正常领取年龄(NRA)从60(55)岁提高至2049年的65(60)岁,利用中国未来分年龄人口数的完整估计数据,估算了延迟退休对城镇职工基本养老保险收支影响的净效应。估算结果显示,延迟退休为2050年争取到了近25%的制度赡养比下降空间,养老压力高峰期大大推迟。无论延迟与否,未来养老金收支缺口规模都很大,但延迟退休对抑制缺口扩大仍有显著效果,特别是在短中期,每年的收支缺口会因此减少40%~70%,但2050年后的远期效果明显减弱。建议尽早实施渐次延迟退休,减少工作退休的强制性,尊重国情允许男女差龄退休;加强养老金财政补贴长期规划,减轻远期财政兜底压力;加强养老金缴费与受益的精算联系,大力提高基金投资效率等。     

Rentenversicherung, Bev?lkerungsentwicklung und Kapitalmarktrendite – Eine Simulationsrechnung

How can the pension schemes be sustainably financed? This is an important issue particularly with regard to the demographic changes in many industrialized countries but also in other emerging economies such as China and India. In this paper, we use a macroeconomic model of overlapping generations to analyze the impacts of the demographic changes as well as the interactions between pension system, bond and stock markets. Furthermore, we examine how the pension system influences the distribution of wealth, consumption and saving within generations. We found out that an aging population will cause a drastic decline. Moreover, we examined which impacts on individuals?? welfare demographic changes can have for an existing pay-as-you-go pension scheme. An increase of pension age combined with a decrease of the contributions seems to be the best policy. On the other hand, increases in contributions as a result of demographic changes show the highest welfare losses.     

How the provision of inflation information affects pension contributions: A field experiment

Ignoring the effects of inflation in retirement planning can have severe consequences for an individual's future financial well-being. Yet, many pension funds do not communicate inflation-related information, presumably for the fear of reduced contributions once the members understand how low the “real” return on saving for retirement is. As an alternative prediction, the provision of inflation information could increase pension contributions, because it reveals possible pension shortfalls. In cooperation with a major German pension fund, we conduct a field experiment, in which we vary the inflation information provided to the fund members, to explore this important issue. Among all participants, we find mostly positive but insignificant effects of the inflation information on pension contributions. Among those participants who voluntarily changed their pension contributions after the experimental intervention, the provision of inflation information significantly raises the likelihood of increasing pension contributions.     

Anforderungen an eine gerechte und funktionsfähige Alterssicherung

The German pension reform 2001 neglected important structural aspects. Relatively the number of recipients of pensions will increase, the number of payers of contributions will decrease. This generates considerable difficulties in a pay-as-you-go-system as well as in a funded system. For the diffusion of risk the extension of funded elements will be useful, the sustainability of the solutions is not sure, however. Changes in employment and families were mostly neglected. Modifications of the employment system require an extension of compulsory insurance and new rules for low earned incomes. The increasing number of divorces and the decrease in the number of children require an independent security for man and woman and new rules for the acknowledgement of the education of children in old age security.     

Design of employee pension benefits model and China's pension gender gap

The pension gender gap is a universal concern, and policymakers worldwide strive to address the factors leading to gender inequality. This study examines the pension gender gap problem and its causes and effects in China, conducting micro-empirical simulations on China's employee pension benefits model. We propose solutions to this gender inequality and suggest an intra-family pension benefits transfer for women in a family framework. For family units headed by a single woman, we recommend enhanced tax-deductible contributions by prior employers to strengthen the equality of pensions between genders throughout retirement. This additional support and enhancement of female pensions can effectively narrow the pension gap between male and female beneficiaries while maintaining the system's long-term sustainability. More importantly, these proposed enhancements minimize acute poverty while improving the living standards of female pensioners.     

论我国社会养老保险制度的整合

产生于不同历史条件下的我国各类社会养老保险制度,呈现出明显的城乡二元结构和"碎片化试点"等特征。建立健全政府补贴和个人缴费相结合形式的社会养老保险制度是我国社会养老保险制度的发展方向。我国社会养老保险制度整合路径和实现步骤主要包括:将国家政府机关、事业单位人员养老金制度由现收现付模式改革为"社会统筹+个人账户"相结合模式;将城镇职工基本养老保险制度、有固定工作农民工养老保险制度整合为城乡职工社会养老保险制度;进一步加大新农保、城居保制度的整合力度,实现城乡居民社会养老保险制度的实际运作;在此基础上,将城乡居民社会养老保险制度、城乡职工养老保险制度、公务员社会养老保险制度整合为国民养老金制度,建立多层次的社会养老保险制度。     

The Proposed State Second Pension

The UK government has recently proposed radical changes in second-tier pension provision, with the existing State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) being replaced by a new State Second Pension (SSP). This paper sets out how the proposed scheme differs from its predecessor and describes the distributional effects of this reform. It shows that the SSP greatly increases the pension entitlements of low earners while maintaining existing benefit levels for higher earners. However, the higher contributions needed to pay for the new scheme mean that, after taking financing into account, people earning more than around £12,000 a year will lose out. Because of the upper limit to National Insurance contributions for employees, these losses will be greatest for people earning at the contribution ceiling.     

Pension Prefunding, Ageing, and Demographic Uncertainty

Pension prefunding can be used to smooth contribution rates in economies where ageing will increase pension expenditure. But how extensive should prefunding be in a defined benefit pension system when there is considerable uncertainty concerning future mortality, fertility, and migration? We study the prefunding rules in the Finnish earnings-related pension system with an OLG simulation model. The results show that increasing the degree of prefunding could yield a more even intergenerational outcome and make future generations' position better, but it is quite possible to overshoot and harm current generations too much. Making the degree of prefunding fertility-dependent appears to be a useful alternative. With declining fertility, current large cohorts would pay modestly increased contributions. The accumulated funds, however, will be huge in relation to the wage bills of smaller future cohorts.     

Are men better investors than women? Gender differences in mutual fund and pension investments

The majority of consumers lack awareness of how their financial situation will be when they retire. Women face a particularly severe situation. One reason is that reformed retirement systems are disadvantageous for women. Another reason is that women are much less interested to manage their money and to make long-term investments. This paper reviews prior studies on gender differences for financial consumers. Results are inconclusive and more research is needed to clarify when and why there are gender differences. This paper also analyses how the Swedish population has allocated their pension investments within the state pension system as well as the results from a nationally representative sample of consumers. There are less significant differences between expert men and women. Most differences are between novice men and women. Men are both more profit-oriented and more motivated to make financial investments than women are.     

中国农民的养老保障制度

中国农民养老保障制度的建设具有重要意义,目前的状况是以家庭养老为主、呈多元发展态势,按照多层次、大体系、分类解决和差异化的建制原则,未来的农民养老保障制度应以家庭养老为持久模式,以社会养老为发展模式,并发挥农村最低生活保障制度、五保供养制度、商业人寿保险和慈善事业等的补充作用。     

中国养老保险改革的政策效应分析

基于世代交叠模型,考虑中国经济“新常态”中出现的特点和趋势,分析中国养老保险改革中多种政策的潜在影响。研究结果表明：国家不能仅仅依靠延迟退休政策来应对老龄化问题,应保持社会养老保险制度的相对稳定、完善金融市场体系、提高资金运用效率。     

养老金改革考验我们经济学的功底和智慧北大核心

本文从四个方面思考中国养老金改革问题。一是指出养老金改革是一个多维复杂的系统。宏观角度涉及养老金缺口问题和资本市场健康发展,微观角度与生产率密切相关。从国际比较来看,中国的老龄化程度比全球平均水平更严重,但养老金储备属于全球较低水平。从增强养老保障可持续性看,可能有延长退休年龄、增加储蓄、减少替代率、增加预筹资金并确保资金保值增值等四种办法。二是提出中国养老金改革的总体框架。本文建议建立一个较为综合的衡量目标,比如G30采用的"终身财务安全度量(Lifetime Financial Security,简称LFS)"的方法,跨部门比较政策效果,讨论维持在同一框架内,避免各说各话。本文还提出,中国养老金制度从DB型转向DC型,可以采取历史还原法和名义账户的办法,解决养老金改革转轨中的代际公平问题,以及城乡差别、所有制差别问题。三是提出"N对1"养老金发放模式与30余个养老金管理机构数量等养老金经营管理设想,并指出养老金投资回报与风险偏好须匹配,结合我国资本项目开放进程考虑养老金全球化投资。四是从住房、民粹主义等非金融领域,延伸思考养老金改革的复杂性。最后,本文总结指出,中国养老金改革是一项考验经济学功底和智慧的重大课题,应从多个维度全面分析、讨论、测算、论证,高度重视养老金改革对相关各方的激励作用,做出大胆有效的改革。     

Investment and Financing Constraints: Evidence from the Funding of Corporate Pension Plans

I exploit sharply nonlinear funding rules for defined benefit pension plans in order to identify the dependence of corporate investment on internal financial resources in a large sample. Capital expenditures decline with mandatory contributions to DB pension plans, even when controlling for correlations between the pension funding status itself and the firm's unobserved investment opportunities. The effect is particularly evident among firms that face financing constraints based on observable variables such as credit ratings. Investment also displays strong negative correlations with the part of mandatory contributions resulting solely from unexpected asset market movements.     

英国养老金私有化改革的历程与评价

英国是较早进行养老金私有化改革的国家之一,开始于20世纪70年代末的"协议退出",导致保障水平下降、养老金收入差距拉大、基金管理费用高等问题日益显现,退出比例本身也呈下降趋势,人们越来越倾向于回到依靠国家养老金的老路上来.政府在新的改革中再次推行均等化,提高制度的再分配性.这一改革历程凸显反复、频繁、复杂,一方面给个人...     

延迟退休年龄、内生生育率与养老金

本文通过构建内生生育率的OLG模型,从微观视角考察了延迟退休年龄对生育率、养老金替代率及其个人养老金收入的影响。研究表明:(1)延迟退休年龄会提高均衡时的生育率水平,但提高幅度非常有限。(2)生育率的提高会增加未来劳动力供给,促进养老金替代率上升和养老金收入增加,而延迟退休年龄延长了养老保险缴费期限,也会促进养老金替代率上升和养老金收入增加;但同时,延迟退休年龄将使得预防性储蓄下降,资本积累降低,工资收入下降,养老金收入降低。因此,延迟退休年龄会使养老金替代率上升。当资本产出弹性大于或等于0.5时,延迟退休年龄会使得养老金收入降低;当资本产出弹性小于0.5时,在平均预期寿命较大或养老保险缴费比例较高的情形下,养老金收入会随着退休年龄的延迟而增加,反之,其会随着退休年龄的延迟而降低。进一步地,将模型拓展到包含人力资本的情形,延迟退休年龄仍会提高均衡时的生育率与养老金替代率。