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Voluntary Contributions to Personal Pension Plans: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey

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  • Alessandra Guariglia
  • Sheri Markose

Abstract

In this paper, we use data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) for the years 1992 to 1998 to study the determinants of saving in the form of voluntary contributions to personal pension plans (PPPs). We first estimate a probit model with selection for the probability of making these voluntary contributions. We then estimate a random-effects tobit regression for the amounts contributed and compare the results with those of a similar regression for conventional saving. Our findings suggest that voluntary contributions to PPPs are made essentially for retirement purposes, whereas conventional saving is undertaken for precautionary motives. The former type of saving is thus unlikely to offset the latter completely.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandra Guariglia & Sheri Markose, 2000. "Voluntary Contributions to Personal Pension Plans: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 21(4), pages 469-488, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ifs:fistud:v:21:y:2000:i:4:p:469-488
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    Cited by:

    1. Axel Börsch-Supan & Tabea Bucher-Koenen & Michela Coppola & Bettina Lamla, 2015. "Savings In Times Of Demographic Change: Lessons From The German Experience," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 807-829, September.
    2. Renuka Sane & Susan Thomas, 2015. "In Search of Inclusion: Informal Sector Participation in a Voluntary, Defined Contribution Pension System," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(10), pages 1409-1424, October.
    3. Mariacristina Rossi, 2009. "Examining the Interaction between Saving and Contributions to Personal Pension Plans: Evidence from the BHPS," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(2), pages 253-271, April.
    4. Jun Feng, 2018. "Voluntary Retirement Savings: The Case of Australia," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 2-18, March.
    5. Kathrin Dummann, 2007. "What Determines the Demand for Occupational Pensions in Germany?," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 67, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    6. Yilmaz Yildiz & Mehmet Baha Karan & Seyma Bayrak Salantur, 2017. "An Investigation on Early Voluntary Withdrawals from Individual Retirement Accounts: An Empirical Study on an Emerging Market," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 42(4), pages 732-756, October.
    7. Marie Briere & James Poterba & Ariane Szafarz, 2024. "Does Tax Deductibility Increase Retirement Saving? Lessons from a French Natural Experiment," Working Papers CEB 24-014, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Maria Teresa Medeiros Garcia & Beatriz Costa, 2020. "Performance of Personal Pension Funds in Portugal," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 26(3), pages 259-272, August.
    9. Teresa H. Bednarczyk & Ilona Skibińska-Fabrowska & Anna Szymańska, 2021. "An Empirical Study on the Financial Preparation for Retirement of the Independent Workers for Profit in Poland," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-21, September.
    10. Ludmila Fadejeva & Olegs Tkacevs, 2021. "Are Tax-Favoured Savings Plans Effective in Raising Private Savings?," Discussion Papers 2021/01, Latvijas Banka.
    11. van der Wiel, Karen, 2008. "Preparing for Policy Changes: Social Security Expectations and Pension Scheme Participation," IZA Discussion Papers 3623, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions

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