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Longevity Perceptions and Saving Decisions during the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Experimental Investigation

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  • Abigail Hurwitz
  • Olivia S. Mitchell
  • Orly Sade

Abstract

We experimentally study individuals' perceptions about and advice to others regarding retirement savings and annuitization during the pandemic. Many people recommend that others save more for retirement, but those most affected by the pandemic tell others to save and annuitize less. We investigate two possible channels for this result and show that the pandemic does not substantially alter optimism regarding survival probabilities. Hence, we conclude that economic factors are driving our results. Consequently, some financial ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak are yet to be revealed, as the pandemic is having longer-term effects on people's willingness to save and annuitize.

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  • Abigail Hurwitz & Olivia S. Mitchell & Orly Sade, 2021. "Longevity Perceptions and Saving Decisions during the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Experimental Investigation," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 297-301, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:111:y:2021:p:297-301
    DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20211001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Samek, Anya & Kapteyn, Arie & Gray, Andre, 2022. "Using vignettes to improve understanding of Social Security and annuities," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 326-343, July.
    2. Scott R Baker & Robert A Farrokhnia & Steffen Meyer & Michaela Pagel & Constantine Yannelis & Jeffrey Pontiff, 0. "How Does Household Spending Respond to an Epidemic? Consumption during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(4), pages 834-862.
    3. Tobin Hanspal & Annika Weber & Johannes Wohlfart, 2020. "Exposure to the COVID-19 Stock Market Crash and its Effect on Household Expectations," CEBI working paper series 20-13, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    4. Mr. Ippei Shibata, 2020. "The Distributional Impact of Recessions: the Global Financial Crisis and the Pandemic Recession," IMF Working Papers 2020/096, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Stephen Foerster & Juhani T. Linnainmaa & Brian T. Melzer & Alessandro Previtero, 2017. "Retail Financial Advice: Does One Size Fit All?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(4), pages 1441-1482, August.
    6. Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur, 2020. "The Fall in Income Inequality during COVID-19 in Five European Countries," Working Papers 565, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    7. Hanspal, Tobin & Weber, Annika & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2020. "Exposure to the COVID-19 stock market crash and its effect on household expectations," SAFE Working Paper Series 279, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    8. Tobin Hanspal & Annika Weber & Johannes Wohlfart, 2020. "Exposure to the Covid-19 Stock Market Crash and its Effect on Household Expectations," CESifo Working Paper Series 8244, CESifo.
    9. Olivia S. Mitchell, 2020. "Building Better Retirement Systems in the Wake of the Global Pandemic," NBER Working Papers 27261, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Efrat Dressler & Yevgeny Mugerman, 2023. "Doing the Right Thing? The Voting Power Effect and Institutional Shareholder Voting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(4), pages 1089-1112, April.
    2. Achou, Bertrand & De Donder, Philippe & Glenzer, Franca & Lee, Minjoon & Leroux, Marie-Louise, 2022. "Nursing home aversion post-pandemic: Implications for savings and long-term care policy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 1-21.
    3. Niculaescu, Corina E. & Sangiorgi, Ivan & Bell, Adrian R., 2023. "Does personal experience with COVID-19 impact investment decisions? Evidence from a survey of US retail investors," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Claryn S. J. Kung & Jingmin Zhu & Paola Zaninotto & Andrew Steptoe, 2023. "Changes in retirement plans in the English older population during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of health factors and financial insecurity," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Hurwitz, Abigail & Mitchell, Olivia S. & Sade, Orly, 2022. "Testing methods to enhance longevity awareness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 466-475.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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