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Welfare effects of life annuities: Some clarifications

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  • Fehr, Hans
  • Habermann, Christian

Abstract

The present paper clarifies the intergenerational welfare effects of life annuities. While present young cohorts experience significant welfare gains, future generations are hurt by lower bequest. For sufficiently high interest rates long-run welfare will decrease although aggregate efficiency rises.

Suggested Citation

  • Fehr, Hans & Habermann, Christian, 2008. "Welfare effects of life annuities: Some clarifications," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 177-180, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:99:y:2008:i:1:p:177-180
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:bla:manchs:v:67:y:1999:i:2:p:187-91 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Menahem E. Yaari, 1965. "Uncertain Lifetime, Life Insurance, and the Theory of the Consumer," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 32(2), pages 137-150.
    3. Geoffrey Kingston & John Piggott, 1999. "The Geometry of Life Annuities," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 67(2), pages 187-191, March.
    4. Kotlikoff, Laurence J & Spivak, Avia, 1981. "The Family as an Incomplete Annuities Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(2), pages 372-391, April.
    5. Laurence J. Kotlikoff (ed.), 2001. "Essays on Saving, Bequests, Altruism, and Life-Cycle Planning," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262112620, December.
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    1. repec:dgr:rugsom:14015-eef is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Zhao, Kai, 2014. "Social security and the rise in health spending," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 21-37.
    3. Laps, Jochen, 2016. "Fully Funded Social Security Pensions, Lifetime Risk and Income," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145587, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. Hans Fehr & Fabian Kindermann, 2010. "Pension Funding and Individual Accounts in Economies with Life-cyclers and Myopes," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 56(3), pages 404-443, September.
    5. Woodland, A., 2016. "Taxation, Pensions, and Demographic Change," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 713-780, Elsevier.
    6. Hans Fehr & Christian Habermann, 2010. "Private retirement savings and mandatory annuitization," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 17(6), pages 640-661, December.
    7. Hans Fehr & Christian Habermann, 2008. "Private Retirement Savings in Germany: The Structure of Tax Incentives and Annuitization," CESifo Working Paper Series 2238, CESifo.
    8. Heijdra, Ben J. & Mierau, Jochen O. & Trimborn, Timo, 2017. "Stimulating annuity markets," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 554-583, October.
    9. Laps, Jochen, 2015. "Fully Funded Social Security Pensions, Lifetime Risk and Income," Working Papers 0603, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.

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