Mauro Mastrogiacomo

Retirement behaviour of Dutch elderly households, diversity in retirement patterns across different household types

This paper aims to assess the relative importance of differences in behaviouralresponses to financial incentives in explaining the observed variation in retirement behaviour across different types of households. We specify and estimate models for singles and married couples and estimate these on data from the Dutch Socio-Economic Panel. Model estimates are used to decompose the observed differences in retirement trends of the different demographic subgroups into differences in preferences and differences in theavailability and generosity of the retirement options.

On Expectations, Realizations and Partial Retirement

This study investigates whether many people fear an unexpectedshock in their financial situation around retirement and whether therelated expectations and realizations match each other. We use theDutch Social Economic Panel survey data, where expectations aboutthe next years financial situation are reported. We show that realizedchanges exceed expectations, and that this finding is more promi-nent around age 65. The descriptive statistics, as well as the non-parametric tests on the conditional distribution of expectations andrealizations, suggest that individuals around retirement are overly pes-simistic and attach more weight to prospective bad events than to goodevents. The model estimates show that their fears are unjustified, inparticular when individuals are highly educated. Further the link he-tween macro shocks, micro-shocks and expectations is investigated.

Expected and actual replacement rates in the pension system of the Netherlands: how and why do they differ?

This study examines the expected retirement replacement rates (RRs) of several cohorts of Dutch employees at the time of their planned retirements. It also computes RRs based on the available pension records. We find that the expected replacement rate (E(RR)) is, in general, higher than the ones we compute. Larger discrepancies are found for younger cohorts and for individuals with less education and working experience. We also examine the difference between the expected and computed RRs and find that the mismatch is mostly related to poor institutional knowledge. We also show the role of assumptions about institutions and wage profiles in determining our results.

Heterogeneity in Labour Supply Responses: Evidence from a Major Tax Reform

We use a large and rich administrative household panel data set to estimate labour supply responses for a large number of subgroups in the Netherlands. The identification of the parameters benefits from a major tax reform in the data period. We uncover large differences in behavioural responses. In particular, we find differences in labour supply responses between households with and without children that are much bigger than suggested by previous studies that had to pool these household types in the estimation of preferences. An efficient tax-benefit system should take the substantial heterogeneity in behavioural responses into account.

Private Wealth and Planned Early Retirement: A Panel Data Analysis for the Netherlands 1994-2009

We study the causal relation between private wealth and retirement age. We propose two estimation strategies based on expected retirement age. The outcome variable is observed repeatedly over time. We correct first for the unobserved heterogeneity in the disutility of work by using panel data techniques. Next, we exploit information on expected wealth accumulation in order to identify the unexpected component in wealth accumulation. In line with the literature we find a small but significant effect of private wealth on planned early retirement.

Notes and Communications: Home and Mortgage Ownership of the Dutch Elderly: Explaining Cohort, Time and Age Effects

SummaryThe relationship between home ownership of Dutch elderly households and age is strongly negative. Other studies suggest that this age gradient should be attributed to a cohort effect. In this paper, we investigate where those cohort effects come from. We also observe that mortgage ownership among elderly home owners increased considerably during the nineties. Using panel data, we estimate models explaining home and mortgage ownership by age, cohort, and time effects, as well as other factors. Cohort and time effects are modelled explicitly using macro economic and housing market related variables. We find that the level of GDP per capita when the household head was young is the main factor explaining generation effects in home ownership among the elderly. After accounting for cohort effects it also appears that home ownership decreases slightly with age. Mortgage ownership among elderly home owners rose considerably during the nineties due to house price increases and due to financial innovation in the mortgage market. Cohort effects are also important. A supplementary analysis suggests that those cohort effects are due to the fact that the accidental bequest motive is becoming less important.

Did you really save so little for your retirement? An analysis of retirement savings and unconventional retirement accounts

We use a confirmatory factor analysis to study the relation between the importance of a broad spectrum of saving motives, such as saving for retirement, and saving behavior. Survey data show that many respondents save for retirement in unconventional retirement accounts, such as investments in real estate. We show that finding the retirement motive important does not directly translate in additional retirement savings. We show that the annuity stream generated by conventional and unconventional accounts from age 65 onwards is small and that most savings are residual and are not being put aside for a specific motive. Also self-employed retirement savings are low, even though this group has generally no occupational pension.

Testing Consumers' Asymmetric Perception of Changes in Household Financial Situation

Using empirical analysis, this study shows that individuals perceive negative changes in their financial situation as larger relative to positive changes. Evidence of this asymmetry is provided using survey data on individual expectations, perceptions, income, and wealth. The studys results are in line with results in the psychological-economic literature but, contrary to that literature, are obtained by analyzing panel survey data, rather than experimental evidence. These results cast some doubts on the tendency of economists to treat symmetrically the relation between economic variables and income or wealth in their models.

Becoming Self-Employed at Ages 50: True Entrepreneurship or Exclusion from (Wage-) Employment?

▸ Job satisfaction of shifters into self-employment informs us about their risk of social exc lusion ▸ Those who shift into self-employment are the more motivated wage-employed seeking higher j ob satisfaction ▸ Social exclusion is not a likely outcome to those who shift into self-employment ▸ Institutional features, such as the differential inclusion of self-employed and wage-employ ed into unemployment insurances and the level of employment protection, also explain these shifts

Where are the retirement savings of self-employed? An analysis of 'unconventional' retirement accounts

Survey data show that many respondents save for retirement in unconventional retirement accounts, such as investments in real estate. In countries where retirement savings are not mandatory for self-employed, representatives of this group often report this as an argument against making retirement savings compulsory. Our study shows that self-employed retirement savings are low and below individually pre-stated saving intentions, even though this group has generally no occupational pension. We also study the relation between the importance of a broad spectrum of saving motives, such as saving for retirement, and saving behavior. We show that finding the retirement motive important does not directly translate in additional retirement savings, both for self-employed and employees. The (median) annuity stream generated by conventional and unconventional accounts from age 67 is small; most savings are residual and are not being put aside for a specific motive.