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Making Use of Home Equity: The Potential of Housing Wealth to Enhance Retirement Security

Author

Listed:
  • Bravo, Jorge Miguel

    (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)

  • Ayuso, Mercedes

    (University of Barcelona)

  • Holzmann, Robert

    (University of New South Wales)

Abstract

The demographic change underway, declining adequacy levels from traditional pay-as-you-go old-age social security systems, structural reforms in pension schemes and the reduction in the traditional family support have increased the need for additional private savings to cover the old age income gap. In this paper we discuss the necessity, the role and the viability of home equity release schemes in supplementing public and private pensions in an integrated way. We use the latest European data from the Eurosystem Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) to analyse the household's wealth composition and accumulation process in the euro area. To quantify the size of the housing wealth and its potential to enhance existing and future retirement income, we compute the equity-to-value ratio (ETV) for all countries, estimate the time to loan payoff and compute the amount of home equity that is expected to be released over a 10-year period through regular monthly mortgage payments. We then catalogue and discuss the many alternative options for managing and accessing housing wealth over the life cycle, and highlight the main characteristics, risks, advantages and drawbacks of the two most important market products (home reversion plans and reverse mortgages). Finally, we discuss the main demand-side and supply-side obstacles and challenges to the development of equity release markets and extract some policy implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Bravo, Jorge Miguel & Ayuso, Mercedes & Holzmann, Robert, 2019. "Making Use of Home Equity: The Potential of Housing Wealth to Enhance Retirement Security," IZA Discussion Papers 12656, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12656
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ayuso, Mercedes & Bravo, Jorge M. & Holzmann, Robert, 2021. "Getting life expectancy estimates right for pension policy: period versus cohort approach," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(2), pages 212-231, April.
    2. Davidoff, Thomas, 2010. "Home equity commitment and long-term care insurance demand," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1-2), pages 44-49, February.
    3. Ayuso, Mercedes & Bravo, Jorge Miguel & Holzmann, Robert, 2016. "On the Heterogeneity in Longevity among Socioeconomic Groups: Scope, Trends, and Implications for Earnings-Related Pension Schemes," IZA Discussion Papers 10060, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Ayuso, Mercedes & Bravo, Jorge Miguel & Holzmann, Robert, 2016. "Addressing Longevity Heterogeneity in Pension Scheme Design and Reform," IZA Discussion Papers 10378, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. James Banks & Richard Blundell & Zoë Oldfield & James P. Smith, 2010. "Housing Price Volatility and Downsizing in Later Life," NBER Chapters, in: Research Findings in the Economics of Aging, pages 337-379, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. 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.
    7. Barro, Robert J & Friedman, James W, 1977. "On Uncertain Lifetimes," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 85(4), pages 843-849, August.
    8. Holzmann, Robert & Ayuso, Mercedes & Alaminos, Estefanía & Bravo, Jorge Miguel, 2019. "Life Cycle Saving and Dissaving Revisited across Three-Tiered Income Groups: Starting Hypotheses, Refinement through Literature Review, and Ideas for Empirical Testing," IZA Discussion Papers 12655, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Wenli Li & Rui Yao, 2007. "The Life-Cycle Effects of House Price Changes," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 39(6), pages 1375-1409, September.
    10. Declan French & Donal McKillop & Tripti Sharma, 2017. "Analysis of Housing Equity Withdrawal by its Forms," CHaRMS Working Papers 17-04, Centre for HeAlth Research at the Management School (CHaRMS).
    11. Hosty, G. M. & Groves, S. J. & Murray, C. A. & Shah, M., 2008. "Pricing and Risk Capital in the Equity Release Market," British Actuarial Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 41-91, March.
    12. Rui Yao, 2005. "Optimal Consumption and Portfolio Choices with Risky Housing and Borrowing Constraints," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 197-239.
    13. Waltraud Schelkle, 2012. "A Crisis of What? Mortgage Credit Markets and the Social Policy of Promoting Homeownership in the United States and in Europe," Politics & Society, , vol. 40(1), pages 59-80, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Holzmann, Robert & Ayuso, Mercedes & Alaminos, Estefanía & Bravo, Jorge Miguel, 2019. "Life Cycle Saving and Dissaving Revisited across Three-Tiered Income Groups: Starting Hypotheses, Refinement through Literature Review, and Ideas for Empirical Testing," IZA Discussion Papers 12655, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Edyta Marcinkiewicz & Filip Chybalski, 2022. "Income-Poor, Asset-Rich? The Role of Homeownership in Shaping the Welfare Position of the Elderly," LWS Working papers 38, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    3. Edyta Marcinkiewicz & Filip Chybalski, 2022. "Is There a Trade-off between Housing and Pension System Generosity? Empirical Evidence from the Luxembourg Wealth Study," LWS Working papers 37, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    equity release schemes; housing wealth; reverse mortgage; homeownership; retirement income; pensions adequacy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • R2 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis
    • R3 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location

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