Private pension funds are neither necessary nor sufficient for capital market development. But if they are subject to conducive regulations, adopt optimizing policies, and operate in a pluralistic structure, they can have a large impact on capital market modernization and development once they...

Preliminary result of a continuing research project that analyzes annuity markets in various countries. The projects focussed on understanding whether annuity makerts can be relied upon to provide reliable retirement income at reasonable prices

The provision of annuities and other benefits during the decumulation phase of defined contribution (DC) pension plans raises major policy issues. Because private markets for annuities and disability benefits are not well developed even in the most advanced OECD countries, the resolution of...

Personal pension plans transfer investment risk to participating workers and expose them to the volatility of financial returns. Simple financial strategies lower the volatility of replacement rates but at a significant cost in terms of lower replacement rates. The purchase of valuable annuities...

Switzerland is the first country to have publicly articulated the benefits of a multi-pillar approach to pensions and the first OECD country to have mandated that employers provide occupational pension plans for their employees. Not surprising, the Swiss system has many unique and attractive...