Wider eine verpflichtende Aktienrente – auch Vermögen sichert Wohlstand im Alter

A compulsory funded supplementary pension scheme is being discussed to prevent the number of retirees relying on tax financed assistance from increasing. The economic reason could be to prevent free-rider behaviour. The article discusses, why this argument is not convincing. Moreover, we argue that often too little attention is paid to possible welfare losses that households suffer if they prefer accumulating assets to provide for old age but are forced to annuitise the capital. Empirical evidence shows that the accumulation of assets plays an important role in household retirement planning. Therefore, it would make more sense to integrate asset accumulation into eligible old age provision instead.