IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/asiaec/v18y2004i4p439-470.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Operations of a Pension Fund after the Asian Crisis: The Thai Experience

Author

Listed:
  • Katja Funke
  • Georg Stadtmann

Abstract

During and after the Asian crisis, institutional investors and pension funds in Asian financial markets have been confronted with a number of difficulties effecting their performance and the way they carry out their role within the national pension system. We analyze these problems by comparing the actual investment policy of an institutional investor with an optimal investment strategy derived from the insights of modern portfolio theory. We also analyze whether the organizational set‐up of a pension fund allows it to adequately perform its role within the pension system. As an example, we examine the operations of the Thai Government Pension Fund (GPF). We find that allowing international investments and reducing restrictions on equity investments while lowering the implicit requirements for investments in government debt would allow the GPF to further diversify its investment risk and to increase its risk‐adjusted return. We also show that some changes in the governance structure of the GPF would lower the occurrence of conflicts of interest for the management and increase the efficiency of the GPF operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Katja Funke & Georg Stadtmann, 2004. "Operations of a Pension Fund after the Asian Crisis: The Thai Experience," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 18(4), pages 439-470, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:18:y:2004:i:4:p:439-470
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8381.2004.00200.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2004.00200.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2004.00200.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eun, Cheol S & Resnick, Bruce G, 1984. "Estimating the Correlation Structure of International Share Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(5), pages 1311-1324, December.
    2. Mehra, Rajnish & Prescott, Edward C., 1985. "The equity premium: A puzzle," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 145-161, March.
    3. Reisen, Helmut, 1997. "Liberalizing foreign investments by pension funds: Positive and normative aspects," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(7), pages 1173-1182, July.
    4. Michael C. Jensen, 1968. "The Performance Of Mutual Funds In The Period 1945–1964," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(2), pages 389-416, May.
    5. Whitehouse, Edward, 2000. "Administrative charges for funded pensions: An international comparison and assessment," MPRA Paper 14172, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Holzmann, Robert & Mac Arthur, Ian W. & Sin, Yvonne, 2000. "Pension systems in East Asia and the Pacific : challenges and opportunities," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 23088, The World Bank.
    7. Walker, Eduardo*Lefort, Fernando, 2002. "Pension reform and capital markets : are there any (hard) links?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 24082, The World Bank.
    8. Shah, Ajay & Fernandes, Kshama, 2000. "The relevance of index funds for pension investment in equities," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2494, The World Bank.
    9. 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.
    10. Detzler, Miranda Lam & Wiggins, James B, 1997. "The Performance of Actively Managed International Mutual Funds," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 291-313, May.
    11. Catalan, Mario & Impavido, Gregorio & Musalem, Alberto R., 2000. "Contractual savings or stock market development - Which leads?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2421, The World Bank.
    12. Iglesias, Augusto & Palacios, Robert J., 2000. "Managing public pension reserves - Part I : evidence from the international experience," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 21311, The World Bank.
    13. James, Estelle, 1998. "New Models for Old-Age Security: Experiments, Evidence, and Unanswered Questions," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 13(2), pages 271-301, August.
    14. Srinivas, P.S. & Whitehouse, Edward & Yermo, Juan, 2000. "Regulating private pension funds’ structure, performance and investments: cross-country evidence," MPRA Paper 14753, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Tsangyao Chang, 2001. "Are there any long-run benefits from international equity diversification for Taiwan investors diversifying in the equity markets of its major trading partners, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(7), pages 441-446.
    16. Sohnke M. Bartram & Gunter Dufey, 2001. "International Portfolio Investment: Theory, Evidence, and Institutional Framework," Finance 0107001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Robert R. Grauer and Nils H. Hakansson., 1987. "Gains from International Diversification: l968-85 Returns on Portfolios of Stocks and Bonds," Research Program in Finance Working Papers 168, University of California at Berkeley.
    18. Holzmann, Robert & Palacios, Robert, 2001. "Individual accounts as social insurance : a World Bank perspective," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 23303, The World Bank.
    19. Cumby, Robert E & Glen, Jack D, 1990. "Evaluating the Performance of International Mutual Funds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(2), pages 497-521, June.
    20. Rajnish Mehra, 2003. "The Equity Premium: Why is it a Puzzle?," NBER Working Papers 9512, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Narayana R. Kocherlakota, 1996. "The Equity Premium: It's Still a Puzzle," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 42-71, March.
    22. Butler, K. C. & Joaquin, D. C., 2002. "Are the gains from international portfolio diversification exaggerated? The influence of downside risk in bear markets," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(7), pages 981-1011, December.
    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. Palacios, Robert, 2006. "Civil-service pension schemes around the world," MPRA Paper 14796, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Fahad Rehman, 2010. "Asset Allocation for Government Pension Funds in Pakistan: A Case for International Diversification," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 15(1), pages 127-151, Jan-Jun.
    3. Wade D. Pfau & Vararat Atisophon, 2009. "Impact of the National Pension Fund on the Suitability of Elderly Pensions in Thailand," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 41-63, March.
    4. Gökçen, Umut & Yalçın, Atakan, 2015. "The case against active pension funds: Evidence from the Turkish Private Pension System," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 46-67.
    5. Rehman, Fahd, 2010. "Asset Allocation for Government Pension Funds in Pakistan:A Case for International Diversification," MPRA Paper 25060, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    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. Shackman, Joshua D., 2006. "The equity premium and market integration: Evidence from international data," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 155-179, April.
    2. Rajnish Mehra, 2006. "The Equity Premium in India," NBER Working Papers 12434, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Gallagher, David R. & Jarnecic, Elvis, 2004. "International equity funds, performance, and investor flows: Australian evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 81-95, February.
    4. van Ewijk, Casper & de Groot, Henri L.F. & Santing, A.J. (Coos), 2012. "A meta-analysis of the equity premium," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 819-830.
    5. Salomons, Roelof, 2004. "Expert something sensible: putting US returns in an international perspective," Research Report 04E02, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    6. Rubens Penha Cysne, 2005. "Equity-Premium Puzzle: Evidence From Brazilian Data," Anais do XXXIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 33rd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 088, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    7. Roelof Salomons, 2008. "A Theoretical And Practical Perspective On The Equity Risk Premium," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 299-329, April.
    8. Grant, Simon & Quiggin, John, 2003. "The Risk Premium for Equity: Implicatiosn for Resource Allocation, Welfare adn Policy," Working Papers 2003-14, Rice University, Department of Economics.
    9. repec:dgr:rugsom:04e02 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. DeLong, J. Bradford & Magin, Konstantin, 2008. "The U.S. Equity Return Premium: Past, Present and Future," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt2827m1qc, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    11. Elie Appelbaum & Parantap Basu, 2010. "A new methodology for studying the equity premium," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 176(1), pages 109-126, April.
    12. Vance Martin & G.C. Lim & Esfandiar Maasoumi, 2004. "Discounting The Equity Premium Puzzle," Econometric Society 2004 Australasian Meetings 331, Econometric Society.
    13. Lim, G.C. & Maasoumi, Esfandiar & Martin, Vance L., 2006. "A reexamination of the equity-premium puzzle: A robust non-parametric approach," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 173-189, August.
    14. Fernando Rubio, 2005. "Eficiencia De Mercado, Administracion De Carteras De Fondos Y Behavioural Finance," Finance 0503028, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 23 Jul 2005.
    15. Christophe, Faugere, 2003. "A Required Yield Theory of Stock Market Valuation and Treasury Yield Determination," MPRA Paper 15579, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Jun 2009.
    16. Impavido, Gregorio & Musalem, Alberto R. & Vittas, Dimitri, 2002. "Contractual savings in countries with a small financial sector," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2841, The World Bank.
    17. Filippo Taddei, 2007. "Equity Premium: Interaction of Belief Heterogeneity and Distribution of Wealth?," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 67, Collegio Carlo Alberto.
    18. Robert Holzmann & Richard Hinz, 2005. "Old Age Income Support in the 21st century: An International Perspective on Pension Systems and Reform," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7336.
    19. Mr. Jorge Roldos, 2007. "Pension Reform and Macroeconomic Stability in Latin America," IMF Working Papers 2007/108, International Monetary Fund.
    20. DeLong, J. Bradford & Magin, Konstantin A., 2008. "The U.S. Equity Return Premium: Past, Present and Future," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt7vq683mh, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    21. Liu, Liqun, 2012. "Inferring the rate of pure time preference under uncertainty," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 27-33.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:bla:asiaec:v:18:y:2004:i:4:p:439-470. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaeaaea.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.