IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/2493.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Annuity markets in comparative perspective : do consumers get their money's wotrth?

Author

Listed:
  • James, Estelle
  • Vittas, Dimitri

Abstract

Pension reforms normally focus on the accumulation phase, plus term insurance that provides bnefits for the disabled and for dependent survivors, all of which are immediate concerns. Decumulation of the capital in workers'retirement savings accounts appears to be far in the future. But in the second generation of reforms, countries have begun paying attention to eventual decumulation--either through gradual withdrawals or through annuitization, which provides longevity insurance. At this point, it becomes important to learn whether annuity markets exist and how they operate. The authors summarize preliminary results of a continuing research project that analyzes annuity markets in Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. They focus on understanding whether annuity markets can be relied upon to provide reliable retirement income at reasonable prices. One way to approach this question is to explore whether the expected payouts and the"money's-worth ratio"differ across countries, and if so, why, and what light can be thrown on the existence and amount of adverse selection. Annuity markets are poorly designed for various reasons: worker myopia, precautionary and bequest saving (not erved by most annuity products), distrust of insurance companies (and unwillingness to turn sizeable savings over to them), adverse selection, and the crowding-out effect of social security (Which automatically annuitizes the largest share of people's retirement wealth). Preliminary findings suggest that the cost of annuities is lower than might be expected. When the risk-free discount rate is used, the money's-worth ratios of nominal annuities based on annuitant mortality tables exceed 90 percent--neither the industry"take"nor the effects of adverse selection appear to be as large as anticipated. But real annuities (in Chile, Israel, and the United Kingdom) have money's-worth ratios 7 to 9 percent lower than those of nominal annuities. And when the"riskier"corporate bond rate is used for discounting purposes, there is a further 7 percent reduction. The main policy issues include public versus private provision, the role of insurance companies in term and risk intermediation, the level of compulsory annuitization, and the need for robust regulation of annuity providers.

Suggested Citation

  • James, Estelle & Vittas, Dimitri, 2000. "Annuity markets in comparative perspective : do consumers get their money's wotrth?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2493, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2493
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2000/12/19/000094946_00121302021465/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Olivia S. Mitchell, 1999. "New Evidence on the Money's Worth of Individual Annuities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(5), pages 1299-1318, December.
    2. ,, 1999. "Problems And Solutions," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(5), pages 777-788, October.
    3. ,, 1999. "Problems And Solutions," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 151-160, February.
    4. James M. Poterba & Mark Warshawsky, 2000. "The Costs of Annuitizing Retirement Payouts from Individual Accounts," NBER Chapters, in: Administrative Aspects of Investment-Based Social Security Reform, pages 173-206, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Jeffrey R. Brown & Olivia S. Mitchell & James M. Poterba, 2001. "The Role of Real Annuities and Indexed Bonds in an Individual Accounts Retirement Program," NBER Chapters, in: Risk Aspects of Investment-Based Social Security Reform, pages 321-370, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. David Blake, 1999. "Annuity Markets: Problems and Solutions," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 24(3), pages 358-375, July.
    7. Jeffrey Brown, 2002. "Differential Mortality and the Value of Individual Account Retirement Annuities," NBER Chapters, in: The Distributional Aspects of Social Security and Social Security Reform, pages 401-446, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. ,, 1999. "Problems And Solutions," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(4), pages 629-637, August.
    9. Vittas, Dimitri & Skully, Michael, 1991. "Overview of contractual savings institutions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 605, The World Bank.
    10. Benjamin M. Friedman & Mark Warshawsky, 1985. "The Cost of Annuities: Implications for Saving Behavior and Bequests," NBER Working Papers 1682, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Valdes-Prieto, Salvador, 1998. "Risks in pensions and annuities : efficient designs," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 20847, The World Bank.
    12. Salvador Valdés & Gonzalo Edwards, "undated". "Jubilación en los Sistemas Pensionales Privados," Documentos de Trabajo 182, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    13. Amy Finkelstein & James Poterba, 1999. "Selection Effects in the Market for Individual Annuities: New Evidence from the United Kingdom," NBER Working Papers 7168, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. ,, 1999. "Problems And Solutions," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 427-432, June.
    15. Benjamin M. Friedman & Mark J. Warshawsky, 1990. "The Cost of Annuities: Implications for Saving Behavior and Bequests," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 105(1), pages 135-154.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Robert Jahoda & Jiøí Špalek, 2009. "Pension Reform through Voluntary Opt-Out: The Czech Case," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 59(4), pages 309-333, Oktober.
    2. Impavido, Gregorio & Thorburn, Craig & Wadsworth, Mike, 2004. "A conceptual framework for retirement products : Risk sharing arrangements between providers and retirees," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3208, The World Bank.
    3. Vaclav Zdarek, 2015. "A Robust Search for Determinants of Price Convergence in European Union – Known “Suspects” or New “Villains”?," ACTA VSFS, University of Finance and Administration, vol. 9(1), pages 7-41.
    4. Sutcliffe, Charles, 2015. "Trading death: The implications of annuity replication for the annuity puzzle, arbitrage, speculation and portfolios," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 163-174.
    5. Cecilia Dassatti & Rodrigo Lluberas, 2020. "The costs of annuitising: are retirees fairly charged?," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(3), pages 535-557, July.
    6. Alina Kulai, 2015. "Integrational Models and Forms of Inter-State Public-Private Partnership: Aspects of Financial Convergence," ACTA VSFS, University of Finance and Administration, vol. 9(1), pages 42-58.
    7. Jaroslav Tichý, 2015. "Risks of Mortgage Loans in the Czech Republic," ACTA VSFS, University of Finance and Administration, vol. 9(1), pages 59-73.
    8. Cecilia Dassatti & Rodrigo Lluberas, 2016. "The costs of annuitizing," Documentos de trabajo 2016004, Banco Central del Uruguay.
    9. Jaroslav Vostatek, 2015. "Social and Provision Models of Pension Insurance and Savings," ACTA VSFS, University of Finance and Administration, vol. 9(1), pages 74-103.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carlos Vidal-Melia & Ana Lejárraga-García, 2004. "The Bequest Motive And Single People’S Demand For Life Annuities," Public Economics 0405005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Joachim Inkmann & Paula Lopes & Alexander Michaelides, 2011. "How Deep Is the Annuity Market Participation Puzzle?," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(1), pages 279-319.
    3. Blake, David & Cairns, Andrew J. G. & Dowd, Kevin, 2003. "Pensionmetrics 2: stochastic pension plan design during the distribution phase," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 29-47, August.
    4. Brown, Jeffrey R., 2001. "Private pensions, mortality risk, and the decision to annuitize," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 29-62, October.
    5. Hippolyte D'Albis & Emmanuel Thibault, 2010. "Annuities, Bequests, and Portfolio Diversification," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 12(1), pages 75-91, February.
    6. Koijen, R.S.J. & Nijman, T.E. & Werker, B.J.M., 2006. "Optimal Portfolio Choice with Annuitization," Discussion Paper 2006-78, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    7. Vittas, Dimitri, 2002. "Policies to promote saving for retirement : a synthetic overview," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2801, The World Bank.
    8. Koijen, R.S.J. & Nijman, T.E. & Werker, B.J.M., 2006. "Optimal Portfolio Choice with Annuitization," Other publications TiSEM e0ee89d5-4a5f-4c70-a7ee-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    9. Jeffrey R. Brown & Olivia S. Mitchell & James M. Poterba, 2000. "Mortality Risk, Inflation Risk, and Annuity Products," NBER Working Papers 7812, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. David McCarthy & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2004. "Annuities for an ageing world," Chapters, in: Elsa Fornero & Elisa Luciano (ed.), Developing an Annuity Market in Europe, chapter 2, pages 13-48, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Miss Allison C Schrager & Mr. George A Mackenzie, 2004. "Can the Private Annuity Market Provide Secure Retirement Income?," IMF Working Papers 2004/230, International Monetary Fund.
    12. Donnelly, Catherine & Guillén, Montserrat & Nielsen, Jens Perch, 2014. "Bringing cost transparency to the life annuity market," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 14-27.
    13. Amy Finkelstein & James Poterba, 2004. "Adverse Selection in Insurance Markets: Policyholder Evidence from the U.K. Annuity Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(1), pages 183-208, February.
    14. Jeffrey R. Brown & Mark J. Warshawsky, 2001. "Longevity-Insured Retirement Distributions from Pension Plans: Market and Regulatory Issues," NBER Working Papers 8064, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Jeffrey R. Brown, 2003. "Redistribution and Insurance: Mandatory Annuitization With Mortality Heterogeneity," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 70(1), pages 17-41, March.
    16. Yikang Li & Casey Rothschild, 2020. "Selection and Redistribution in the Irish Tontines of 1773, 1775, and 1777," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 87(3), pages 719-750, September.
    17. Albrecht, Peter & Göbel, Thorsten, 2000. "Rentenversicherung versus Fondsentnahmepläne, oder: Wie groß ist die Gefahr, den Verzehr des eigenen Vermögens zu überleben?," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 00-31, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim;Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim.
    18. Jeffrey R. Brown & Olivia S. Mitchell & James M. Poterba, 2001. "The Role of Real Annuities and Indexed Bonds in an Individual Accounts Retirement Program," NBER Chapters, in: Risk Aspects of Investment-Based Social Security Reform, pages 321-370, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Mr. George A Mackenzie, 2002. "The Role of Private Sector Annuities Markets in an Individual Accounts Reform of a Public Pension Plan," IMF Working Papers 2002/161, International Monetary Fund.
    20. Albrecht, Peter & Göbel, Thorsten, 2000. "Rentenversicherung versus Fondsentnahmepläne, oder: Wie groß ist die Gefahr, den Verzehr des eigenen Vermögens zu überleben?," Papers 00-31, Sonderforschungsbreich 504.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2493. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Roula I. Yazigi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dvewbus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.