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Incentives to Retire Later: A Solution to the Social Security Crisis?

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  • Friedrich Breyer
  • Mathias Kifmann

Abstract

As one possible solution to the well-known financing crisis of unfunded social security systems, an increase in the retirement age is a popular option. To induce workers to retire later, it has been proposed to strengthen the link between retirement age and benefit level. The present paper is devoted to analyzing the long-run financial implications of such a reform. We show that with actuarial adjustments the long-run contribution rate is an increasing function of the retirement age chosen by workers. Moreover, the implicit tax paid to the pension system by a participant can increase in the long run if the retirement age rises in response to a "steep" adjustment rule. In this sense, the proposed "cure" may worsen the disease. Finally, we propose an alternative adjustment scheme which avoids these negative consequences. Finally, we show how the negative effects can be avoided by forming a capital stock from the additional revenues due to later retirement. Als ein möglicher Ausweg aus der drohenden Finanzkrise umlagefinanzierter Rentensysteme wird gegenwärtig eine Anhebung des Rentenzugangsalters von vielen favorisiert. Um allerdings Arbeitnehmern einen Anreiz zur Verlängerung der Lebensarbeitszeit zu geben, muss nach Auffassung der meisten Experten die Beziehung zwischen Beiträgen und Rentenansprüchen gestärkt werden. In dieser Arbeit werden die langfristigen finanziellen Konsequenzen einer solchen Reform analysiert. Wir zeigen, dass bei versicherungsmathematischen Zuschlägen für Mehrarbeit der Beitragssatz langfristig eine steigende Funktion des tatsächlich gewählten Rentenalters ist. Darüber hinaus steigt auch die implizite Steuer, die ein repräsentativer Versicherter an die Rentenkasse zahlt, sofern das Rentenalter in Folge einer ,,steilen" Zuschlagsfunktion zunimmt. In diesem Sinne k¨onnte die vorgeschlagene ,,Behandlung" die diagnostizierte ,,Krankheit" verschlimmern. Abschließend zeigen wir, wie der negative Effekt durch Aufbau eines Kapitalstocks vermieden werden kann.

Suggested Citation

  • Friedrich Breyer & Mathias Kifmann, 2001. "Incentives to Retire Later: A Solution to the Social Security Crisis?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 266, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp266
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Friedrich Breyer, 2001. "Why Funding Is not a Solution to the "Social Security Crisis"," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 254, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
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    Cited by:

    1. Barbara Berkel & Axel Börsch-Supan, 2004. "Pension Reform in Germany: The Impact on Retirement Decisions," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 60(3), pages 393-421, September.
    2. Enrique Fatas & Juan A. Lacomba & Francisco Lagos, 2007. "An Experimental Test On Retirement Decisions," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 45(3), pages 602-614, July.
    3. Arnds, Pascal & Bonin, Holger, 2002. "Frühverrentung in Deutschland: Ökonomische Anreize und institutionelle Strukturen," IZA Discussion Papers 666, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Van Borm, Hannah & Burn, Ian & Baert, Stijn, 2021. "What Does a Job Candidate's Age Signal to Employers?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    5. Breyer Friedrich & Hupfeld Stefan, 2010. "On the Fairness of Early-Retirement Provisions," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 60-77, February.
    6. Potrafke, Niklas, 2012. "Unemployment, human capital depreciation and pension benefits: an empirical evaluation of German data," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(2), pages 223-241, April.
    7. Kallweit Manuel, 2009. "Rentenreform und Rentenzugangsentscheidung – Eine numerische Gleichgewichtsanalyse / Pension Reform and Endogenous Retirement – a Computable General Equilibrium Analysis," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 229(4), pages 426-449, August.
    8. Riccardo Magnani, 2016. "Is an Increase in the Minimum Retirement Age Always Desirable? The Case of Notional Defined Contribution Systems," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 578-602, July.
    9. Martin Werding, 2007. "Actuarially accurate benefit reductions for early retirement," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 60(16), pages 19-32, August.
    10. Walter Fisher & Christian Keuschnigg, 2010. "Pension reform and labor market incentives," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 23(2), pages 769-803, March.
    11. Enrique Fatás & Juan A. Lacomba & Francisco M. Lagos & Ana I. Moro, 2008. "Experimental tests on consumption, savings and pensions," ThE Papers 08/14, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    12. Breyer, Friedrich & Franz, Wolfgang & Homburg, Stefan & Schnabel, Reinhold & Wille, Eberhard, 2004. "Reform der sozialen Sicherung: Kurzfassung," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 92399, July.
    13. Hupfeld, Stefan, 2009. "Rich and healthy--better than poor and sick?: An empirical analysis of income, health, and the duration of the pension benefit spell," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 427-443, March.
    14. Enrique Fatás & Juan Lacomba & Francisco Lagos & Ana Moro-Egido, 2013. "An experimental test on dynamic consumption and lump-sum pensions," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 393-413, November.
    15. Kuhn, Michael & Wrzaczek, Stefan & Prskawetz, Alexia & Feichtinger, Gustav, 2015. "Optimal choice of health and retirement in a life-cycle model," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 158(PA), pages 186-212.
    16. Hans FEHR, 2010. "Pension Reform with Variable Retirment Age," EcoMod2010 259600055, EcoMod.
    17. Friedrich Breyer & Stefan Hupfeld, 2010. "On the Fairness of Early‐Retirement Provisions," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 11(1), pages 60-77, February.
    18. Galasso, Vincenzo, 2008. "Postponing retirement: the political effect of aging," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(10-11), pages 2157-2169, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pay-as-you-go; retirement age; actuarial adjustment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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