Determinants of seeking advice within defined contribution retirement savings schemes

We report results from a study of superannuation member advice‐seeking within their plan, explaining observed patterns by member age, gender, issue salience and size‐of‐bet effect. Inquiry mode, frequency and volume of contact with the advice‐provider, and sensitivity of members to legislative change and macroeconomic events are considered. Results show that gender (female more likely than male), age (older rather than younger), balance (larger rather than smaller) and experience (longer rather than shorter) are the strongest advice‐seeking predictors, consistent over time. Findings suggest member engagement around retirement planning may be more effective when considering the factors affecting advice‐seeking behaviour in general.     

Corporate Real Estate Sale and Leaseback Effect: Empirical Evidence from Europe

Corporate real estate disposals have increased in Europe during the past few years. In this research paper, we study market reactions of publicly traded European companies' real estate sale and leaseback announcements during 1998–2004. This study is one of the first ones to study the sale and leaseback impact on corporate value with a pan‐European data. We find that the sale and leaseback announcements have on average positive impact to firm's value which is in line with the previous studies. However, we also find that the positive effect is mainly caused by the deals with high transaction value to company market value ratio. Smaller transactions do not create on average any abnormal returns. Our results support the hypothesis that the positive sale and leaseback announcement effect is a consequence of revealed hidden value of the company's assets. Thus, sale and leaseback can also be seen as a mechanism for revealing the hidden value of company's assets to the market.     

中国的货币化与金融化:影响因素与演进趋势

我国的货币化与金融化问题,尽管基本上符合经济货币化与金融化的总体趋势和演进规律,但却具有一定的独特性:具有极高的货币化比率和偏低的金融相关比率(从而极低的证券化比率).从储蓄分流、金融结构优化和缓解流动性过剩3个视角对该问题的分析表明:储蓄分流应该是增量分流,金融结构优化应该是缩减间接融资的相对规模,我国出现货币化"折点"应满足的条件是M2持续增长但其增速却持续低于名义GDP增速.就我国货币化"折点"出现的时间而言,尽管具有不确定性,但金融相关比率和证券化比率在相当长时间内继续提升却是可以明确预期的.     

The relationship between financial sector development and savings mobilisation in South Africa: An empirical study

This article examines the link between financial sector development and savings mobilisation in South Africa for the period 1980–2012. Taking the life-cycle hypothesis as our theoretical background and using Johansen co-integration that allows for hypothesis testing, the empirical results revealed a long-run relationship between savings, interest rates and financial sector development. We find an inverse relationship between the interest rate and savings, implying that South Africans are net borrowers because the income effect overwhelms the substitution effect. This in part explains the low level of savings in recent time. Important policy lessons for boosting the national savings rate are discussed.     

Asset allocation and age effects in retirement savings choices

We examine the asset allocation decisions of members of three large Australian retirement savings funds. Superannuation Guarantee legislation in 1992 made Australian employees compulsory investors by requiring employers to contribute a fixed proportion of earnings to a superannuation fund on behalf of employees. A majority of these employees can choose an investment strategy for these contributions. We examine how actual investment strategy and asset allocation choices of members change with age in view of the conventional wisdom that individuals allocate less to risky assets as they age and investments theory which provides conflicting advice on the issue.     

Housing, taxation and retirement provision

This paper considers the tax treatment of housing and the issue of savings for retirement in the context of a simplified model that still allows key aspects of the household context to be realistically represented. A model is developed in which both housing and financial assets can be used as vehicles for household saving. Individuals face perfect capital markets and choose between owner-occupied and rented accommodations. For the model developed, it is shown that the tax advantage of owner-occupied housing is not fully removed even if imputed rents are subject to income taxation. However, deferred income taxation for both housing and savings in the form of financial assets would result in an equal treatment of tenants and owner-occupiers.     

论人民币升值与资本账户的开放

由于中国是一个有着高储蓄率“优势”的国家,国内储蓄远远大于国内吸收,因而存在巨额储蓄盈余并表现为持续且庞大的经常项目顺差。国际收支常处于不平衡状态,人民币面临越来越大的升值压力。如果给定国内储蓄大于国内投资,那么就必须为国内盈余的资金寻找出路。若一味依靠人民币升值的办法硬性求得中国外部平衡,从长期看必然牺牲内部平衡,其结果将可能是危险甚至是灾难性的。更明智的做法应该是鼓励资本输出并逐步开放资本账户,同时实行有管理的浮动汇率。当然,还应该加快金融制度改革的步伐并逐步开放金融市场。     

供需不确定性、市场竞争与现金持有——来自中国上市公司的经验证据

本文研究了市场供需不确定性对中国上市公司现金持有行为的影响.针对2000-2006年期间637家上市公司的经验研究表明,现金持有水平与市场供需不确定性负相关.这一关系在寡头竞争行业中最为显著,完全竞争行业次之,而垄断性行业最低.上述结果表明,中国上市公司的现金持有行为主要表现为短期逐利动机,并不支持国外学者普遍认为的预防性动机假说.这主要源于中国上市公司破产压力较低,使之过度追求短期资本回报,并没有将现金持有当作一种风险管理工具.     

服务社会:陈光甫经营管理思想的核心

陈光甫以"服务社会"为经营宗旨,以仅有微薄资本的"小小银行"成长为中国近代第一大私人商业银行,创造了中国金融史上多个"第一"。陈光甫的"服务社会"思想,表现为在存款上银元与银两并用,吸收小额储蓄,创办礼金储蓄等;在贷款上,不仅注重工商业的放款,而且还积极创办对农业和个人小额信用的贷款,全方位支持国家各行业、各阶层的金融需要。     

储蓄资本化、金融企业和工商企业资本金增加与宏观经济增长——从资产负债表角度的一个解析

我国融资格局正由严重依赖间接融资的均衡向直接融资比重不断提高的新均衡转化,其间发生着居民储蓄存款的资本化,即居民储蓄转化为金融企业和工商企业资本金,经济增长表现为资本更加充实的增长。文章发现,储蓄资本化,一方面使得工商企业资产负债率仅仅短期内下降,但长期潜在的负债能力增加,同时权益融资的增加使得工商企业有压力扩充资产规模,另一方面,储蓄资本化,商业银行上市融资后资本充足率提高,进而有能力扩张信贷,权益融资的增加同样也使其有压力扩充资产,这样,供求两旺,信贷坚实增长。文章认为必需进一步充实经济体系中的资本金,同时也要研究清楚经济周期高点、通胀压力较大情况下大量工商企业和金融企业很快上市后其资本金增加所潜在的扩张效应及其宏观后果。