There is a widespread perception that public pension systems in richer countries are in crisis. As schemes mature and the population ages, the burden of financing pensions has grown and, on current policies, will rise much further. Developing countries are younger and pension systems relatively...

Notional accounts are designed to mimic a defined contribution plan, where the pension depends on contributions and investment returns. (For this reason, they are sometimes called notional, defined-contribution schemes). Pension contributions are tracked in accounts which earn a rate of return....

The transition from a wholly public, pay-as-you go pension system to one where pensions are also provided by individual, privately managed pension accounts does not directly affect those receiving pensions at the time of the reform. Nevertheless, it could affect all current and future workers. A...

The adequacy of retirement incomes is a central goal of all types of pension system. In defined contribution pension plans, the benefit depends on the amount of money paid in, the investment returns earned, and the amount fund managers charge for administering accounts and investing the assets....

The World Bank Pension Reform Primer aims to provide a comprehensive toolkit for policy makers on designing and implementing pension reform. It is based on continuously updated information from countries that have introduced reforms emphasizing the role of privately-managed individual retirement...

This edition of the Pension Reform Primer examines the global trend in early retirement among rich and poorer countries, the reasons for people retiring early, the burden of early retirement on the pension system, recent policy initiatives to promote employment of older workers, and people's...