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On Financing Retirement with an Aging Population

Author

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  • Edward Prescott

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis)

  • Ellen McGrattan

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis)

Abstract

A problem facing the United States is financing retirement consumption as its population ages. Policy analysts increasingly advocate savings-for-retirement systems, but are concerned with insufficient savings opportunities with limited government debt. This concern is unwarranted. First, there is more productive capital than commonly assumed in macroeconomic modeling. Second, if the policy reform subsumes the elimination of capital income taxes, then the value of business equity increases relative to the capital stock. Phasing in a switch from the current U.S. system to a savings-for-retirement system without capital income taxes increases welfare of all current and future cohorts.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward Prescott & Ellen McGrattan, 2013. "On Financing Retirement with an Aging Population," 2013 Meeting Papers 61, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed013:61
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H61 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Budget; Budget Systems

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