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Monika Bütler
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Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.
Last Name
Bütler
First name
Monika
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+41 71 224 23 17
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@MonikaBuetler
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PublicationThe choice between an annuity and a lump sum: Results from Swiss pension fundsThis paper uses unique micro data from Swiss employer-based pension plans to study the annuitization decision at retirement. The administrative nature of our data, though limited with respect to individual background characteristics, allows us to analyze real choices over large retirement balances, rather than subjectively reported intentions to annuitize. We find a strong and robust impact of a utility-based measure of the annuity's value (computed within a life-cycle framework) on individual annuitization rates. Low accumulation of retirement assets is strongly associated with the choice of the lump sum, presumably due to the availability of means-tested social assistance. The sponsor's default option, in most cases the annuity, is also found to be highly influential in the decision to annuitize.Type: journal articleJournal: Journal of Public EconomicsVolume: 91Issue: 10
Scopus© Citations 78 -
PublicationPayouts in Switzerland: Explaining Developments in Annuitization : with Stefan StaubliSwitzerland is one of the few countries with long-term experience on the payout decisions made by retirees in fully-funded pension plans. Switzerland is also atypical in its unusually high annuitization rates: A majority of retirees covered by mandatory occupational pension plans choose an annuity. This paper will shed light on this extraordinary aspect. It revisits the historical role of occupational pension plans in the provision of old age income, and examines the role of regulation in the payout phase of the scheme. Recent developments in both market conditions and regulations are used to assess the impact of certain determinants of the annuitization decision, such as money's worth ratios (MWR), means-tested benefits and behavioral factors.Type: discussion paperIssue: 2010-06
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PublicationPayouts in Switzerland: Explaining Developments in AnnuitizationSwitzerland is one of the few countries with long-term experience on the payout decisions made by retirees in fully-funded pension plans. Switzerland is also atypical in its unusually high annuitization rates: A majority of retirees covered by mandatory occupational pension plans choose an annuity. This paper will shed light on this extraordinary aspect. It revisits the historical role of occupational pension plans in the provision of old age income, and examines the role of regulation in the payout phase of the scheme. Recent developments in both market conditions and regulations are used to assess the impact of certain determinants of the annuitization decision, such as money's worth ratios (MWR), means-tested benefits and behavioral factors.