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Providing Guarantees in Social Security

Author

Listed:
  • Karen E. Smith

    (Urban Institute)

  • C. Eugene Steuerle

    (Urban Institute)

  • Pablo Montagnes

    (Urban Institute)

Abstract

Some Social Security reforms would provide guarantees that individuals would not receive less under a reformed system than would be provided by current law. However, the “current law” benefit formula increases benefits when wages rise. Any reform successfully adding to economic growth, therefore, would affect those promised levels of benefits, as well as revenues and the interest rates that determine what could be earned and paid out of individual accounts. This paper concludes that guarantees could add significantly to the costs of Social Security, reduce any reduction in budget imbalance achieved through other parts of a reform, and add to taxes, direct or implicit, that must be paid to cover those costs. Stock and bond market variation, as well as variation in returns on individual accounts, also add to costs when reform contains a guarantee, as government bears mainly downside risks. A variety of examples are provided for one generic type of reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Karen E. Smith & C. Eugene Steuerle & Pablo Montagnes, 2004. "Providing Guarantees in Social Security," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College 2004-21, Center for Retirement Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:crr:crrwps:2004-21
    as

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    File URL: http://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/providing-guarantees-in-social-security/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin Feldstein & Andrew Samwick, 2002. "Potential Paths of Social Security Reform," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 16, pages 181-224, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Bosworth, Barry & Burtless, Gary, 2004. "Pension Reform and Saving," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 57(3), pages 703-727, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social security; reform;

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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