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Do Required Minimum Distribution 401(k) Rules Matter, and for Whom? Insights from a Lifecylce Model

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  • Horneff, Vanya
  • Maurer, Raimond
  • Mitchell, Olivia S.

Abstract

Tax-qualified vehicles helped U.S. private-sector workers accumulate {dollar}25Tr in retirement assets. An often-overlooked important institutional feature shaping decumulations from these retirement plans is the "Required Minimum Distribution" (RMD) regulation, requiring retirees to withdraw a minimum fraction from their retirement accounts or pay excise taxes on withdrawal shortfalls. Our calibrated lifecycle model measures the impact of RMD rules on financial behavior of heterogeneous households during their worklives and retirement. We show that proposed reforms to delay or eliminate the RMD rules should have little effects on consumption profiles but more impact on withdrawals and tax payments for households with bequest motives.

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  • Horneff, Vanya & Maurer, Raimond & Mitchell, Olivia S., 2021. "Do Required Minimum Distribution 401(k) Rules Matter, and for Whom? Insights from a Lifecylce Model," LawFin Working Paper Series 17, Goethe University, Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance (LawFin).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:lawfin:17
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3811594
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    1. Goda, Gopi Shah & Jones, Damon & Ramnath, Shanthi, 2022. "Temporary and permanent effects of withdrawal penalties on retirement savings accounts✩," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    life cycle saving; household finance; 401(k) plan; retirement; tax policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G50 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - General
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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