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Supplemental Plan Offerings and Retirement Saving Choices: An Analysis of North Carolina School Districts

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Listed:
  • Robert L. Clark
  • Emma Hanson
  • Melinda Sandler Morrill
  • Aditi Pathak

Abstract

Unlike private sector employers, public school districts generally offer more than one type of supplemental retirement savings plan and allow multiple vendors to offer products. Using individual-level payroll data from over half of the public school districts in North Carolina coupled with data from an employer survey, this study examines the impact of inter-district differences in supplemental plan administration on participation in these savings vehicles. We find wide variation in total participation rates and in 403(b) plan participation rates in particular, even among this population of public-sector workers with the same defined benefit pension plan, health plan, and retiree health coverage. Individual and district characteristics explain some, but not all, of the variation observed.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert L. Clark & Emma Hanson & Melinda Sandler Morrill & Aditi Pathak, 2015. "Supplemental Plan Offerings and Retirement Saving Choices: An Analysis of North Carolina School Districts," NBER Working Papers 21382, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21382
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert L. Clark & Melinda Sandler Morrill, 2010. "Retiree Health Plans in the Public Sector," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13688.
    2. David A. Wise, 2009. "Developments in the Economics of Aging," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number wise09-1, March.
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    9. Brigitte C. Madrian & Dennis F. Shea, 2001. "The Power of Suggestion: Inertia in 401(k) Participation and Savings Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(4), pages 1149-1187.
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    1. Robert L. Clark & Aditi Pathak & Denis Pelletier, 2018. "Supplemental Retirement Savings Plans in the Public Sector: Participation and Contribution Decisions by School Personnel," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 383-404, December.
    2. Laura D. Quinby & Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, 2021. "Do Public Sector Workers Increase Their Outside Savings in Response to Pension Cuts?," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 1023, Boston College Department of Economics.
    3. Robert L. Clark & Robert G. Hammond & Christelle Khalaf, 2019. "Planning for Retirement? The Importance of Time Preferences," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 127-150, June.
    4. Robert L. Clark & Robert G. Hammond & Melinda S. Morrill & Christelle Khalaf, 2019. "Informing Retirement Savings Decisions: A Field Experiment On Supplemental Plans," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 188-205, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets

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