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Reforming the Retirement Scheme: Flexible Retirement versus Legal Retirement Age

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  • Juan A. Lacomba
  • Francisco M. Lagos

Abstract

We compare a social security system where people can retire at an age of their own choice with one in which there is a legal retirement age elected through a majority voting process. We show that individuals prefer a legal retirement age higher than the one they would choose in the flexible scheme. In spite of this, we show that when the legal retirement age significantly limits the retirement age of high-wage workers, a flexible scheme would improve the financing of the pension system. Finally, we show that even when pension benefits are higher with a legal retirement age, a flexible system might be implemented.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan A. Lacomba & Francisco M. Lagos, 2012. "Reforming the Retirement Scheme: Flexible Retirement versus Legal Retirement Age," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 68(3), pages 252-268, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:finarc:urn:sici:0015-2218(201209)68:3_252:rtrsfr_2.0.tx_2-a
    DOI: 10.1628/001522108X653831
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Georges Casamatta & Helmuth Cremer & Pierre Pestieau, 2005. "Voting on Pensions with Endogenous Retirement Age," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 12(1), pages 7-28, January.
    2. Epple, Dennis & Romano, Richard E, 1996. "Public Provision of Private Goods," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(1), pages 57-84, February.
    3. Conde-Ruiz, J. Ignacio & Galasso, Vincenzo, 2004. "The macroeconomics of early retirement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(9-10), pages 1849-1869, August.
    4. J. Ignacio Conde-Ruiz & Vincenzo Galasso, 2003. "Early Retirement," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 6(1), pages 12-36, January.
    5. Juan Lacomba & Francisco Lagos, 2007. "Political election on legal retirement age," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 29(1), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Georges Casamatta & Helmuth Cremer & Pierre Pestieau, 2000. "The Political Economy of Social Security," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 102(3), pages 503-522, September.
    7. Casamatta, Georges & Cremer, Helmuth & Pestieau, Pierre, 2000. "Political sustainability and the design of social insurance," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 341-364, March.
    8. Juan Lacomba & Francisco Lagos, 2006. "Population aging and legal retirement age," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 19(3), pages 507-519, July.
    9. Vincent P. Crawford & David M. Lilien, 1981. "Social Security and the Retirement Decision," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 96(3), pages 505-529.
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    11. Casamatta, Georges & Cremer, Helmuth & Pestieau, Pierre, 2000. " The Political Economy of Social Security," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 102(3), pages 503-522, June.
    12. Jonathan Gruber & David A. Wise, 1999. "Social Security and Retirement around the World," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number grub99-1, May.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social security; flexible retirement; legal retirement age;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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