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Research and Reality: A Literature Review on Drawing Down Retirement Financial Savings

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  • Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald
  • Bruce Jones
  • Richard Morrison
  • Robert Brown
  • Mary Hardy

Abstract

How do, could, and should retirees draw down their financial savings? This article reviews over 100 papers on this topic from the perspective of individuals, families, governments, and financial institutions. Three significant conceptual/methodological weaknesses in the existing literature are identified: (1) analysts have examined a limited range of self-managed drawdown strategies; (2) nearly all have ignored home ownership, pensions, debt, and government taxes and transfers when quantitatively evaluating alternative drawdown strategies; and (3) there is a well-acknowledged gap between the behavior implied by economic models and that of real-life individuals, particularly when it comes to voluntary annuitization. Expanding the set of drawdown strategies evaluated (e.g., including larger payouts when life expectancy is reduced after the onset of a significant health condition, or using savings as bridge income to delay the take-up of Social Security payments), refining the income concept used, and more exact modeling of the trade-offs underlying individual decision-making will likely increase the appeal of self-managed drawdown strategies and help resolve the “annuity puzzle” that has long dominated this line of research. It may also lead to advice and financial products that will better meet the needs of retirees.

Suggested Citation

  • Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald & Bruce Jones & Richard Morrison & Robert Brown & Mary Hardy, 2013. "Research and Reality: A Literature Review on Drawing Down Retirement Financial Savings," North American Actuarial Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 181-215.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:uaajxx:v:17:y:2013:i:3:p:181-215
    DOI: 10.1080/10920277.2013.821938
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    Cited by:

    1. Aaron Bruhn & Anthony Asher, 2021. "The primacy of ethics in the provision of financial advice," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(2), pages 3305-3327, June.
    2. Maria Alexandrova & Nadine Gatzert, 2019. "What Do We Know About Annuitization Decisions?," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 22(1), pages 57-100, March.
    3. Bonnie-Jeanne Macdonald, 2018. "Headed for the Poorhouse: How to Ensure Seniors Don’t Run Out of Cash before They Run Out of Time," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 500, January.
    4. Peter A. Forsyth & Kenneth R. Vetzal & Graham Westmacott, 2021. "Optimal control of the decumulation of a retirement portfolio with variable spending and dynamic asset allocation," Papers 2101.02760, arXiv.org.
    5. Marc Chen & Mohammad Shirazi & Peter A. Forsyth & Yuying Li, 2023. "Machine Learning and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman Equation for Optimal Decumulation: a Comparison Study," Papers 2306.10582, arXiv.org.
    6. Forsyth, Peter A., 2022. "Short term decumulation strategies for underspending retirees," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 56-74.
    7. Peter A. Forsyth, 2020. "A Stochastic Control Approach to Defined Contribution Plan Decumulation: "The Nastiest, Hardest Problem in Finance"," Papers 2008.06598, arXiv.org.
    8. Peter A. Forsyth & Kenneth R. Vetzal, 2019. "Defined Contribution Pension Plans: Who Has Seen the Risk?," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-27, April.
    9. Peter A. Forsyth & Kenneth R. Vetzal & G. Westmacott, 2022. "Optimal performance of a tontine overlay subject to withdrawal constraints," Papers 2211.10509, arXiv.org.
    10. Forsyth, Peter A., 2020. "Optimal dynamic asset allocation for DC plan accumulation/decumulation: Ambition-CVAR," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 230-245.

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