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Demand for Annuities: Price Sensitivity, Risk Perceptions, and Knowledge

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  • M. Martin Boyer
  • Sébastien Box-Couillard
  • Pierre-Carl Michaud

Abstract

The demand for voluntary individual lifetime annuities is low. To assess the rea-sons why, we designed a stated-preference experiment where we vary characteristics of annuity contracts to estimate individuals’ sensitivity to their value-to-cost ra-tio, a statistic also known as an annuity’s money’s worth. Using different measures of longevity risk and survival expectations, including individually tailored estimates from a micro-simulation model and subjective expectations, we investigate how knowledge of the product and mortality risk misperceptions affect the take-up as well as the sensitivity of the demand for annuities. We find that annuities are objectively not priced fairly, although they can appear to be fairly priced given an individual’s subjective mortality risk. We also find that demand is somewhat price-inelastic so that, given their current 10% take-up rate, lowering the price of annuities to fair actuarial levels could increase demand by at most 2 percentage points. Lack of knowledge of annuities explains another 1.2 percentage points. We find limited additional inter-est for deferred annuities compared to immediate ones although respondents are less price sensitive when evaluating deferred annuities.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Martin Boyer & Sébastien Box-Couillard & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2018. "Demand for Annuities: Price Sensitivity, Risk Perceptions, and Knowledge," CIRANO Working Papers 2018s-33, CIRANO.
  • Handle: RePEc:cir:cirwor:2018s-33
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    Cited by:

    1. Cormac O'Dea & David Sturrock, 2019. "Survival pessimism and the demand for annuities," IFS Working Papers W19/02, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    2. d’Albis, Hippolyte & Attanasi, Giuseppe & Thibault, Emmanuel, 2020. "An experimental test of the under-annuitization puzzle with smooth ambiguity and charitable giving," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 694-717.
    3. Shang Wu & Hazel Bateman & Ralph Stevens & Susan Thorp, 2022. "Flexible insurance for long‐term care: A study of stated preferences," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 89(3), pages 823-858, September.
    4. Ismaël Choinière Crèvecoeur & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2021. "Low Demand for Reverse Mortgages in Canada: Price, Knowledge or Preferences?," Cahiers de recherche / Working Papers 2107, Chaire de recherche sur les enjeux économiques intergénérationnels / Research Chair in Intergenerational Economics.
    5. Vladimír Baláž, 2023. "Household Economics, Information Sources and Annuity Choices: Annuitisation Preferences of Members of the Slovak Private Pension Pillar," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Ismael Choinière-Crèvecoeur & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2023. "Reverse Mortgages and Financial Literacy," CIRANO Working Papers 2023s-06, CIRANO.
    7. Vladimír Baláž, 2023. "Indulgence, Self-Control, and Annuity Preferences: Annuity Choices by Members of the Slovak-Funded Private Pension Pillar," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Ismaël Choinière Crèvecoeur & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2021. "Low Demand for Reverse Mortgages in Canada: Price, Knowledge or Preferences?," Cahiers de recherche / Working Papers 2107, Chaire de recherche sur les enjeux économiques intergénérationnels / Research Chair in Intergenerational Economics.
    9. Milevsky, Moshe A. & Salisbury, Thomas S., 2022. "Refundable income annuities: Feasibility of money-back guarantees," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 175-193.
    10. Patil, Vikram & Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan & Yashodha, Yashodha, 2021. "Understanding Farmers’ Low Uptake of Crop Insurance in India: A Discrete Choice Experiment Approach," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315232, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life annuities’ money’s worth; Stated preferences; Subjective survival probabilities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private

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