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Does Mandatory Saving Crowd Out Voluntary Saving? Evidence from a Pension Reform

Author

Listed:
  • Svend E. Hougaard Jensen
  • Sigurdur P. Olafsson
  • Arnaldur Stefansson
  • Thorsteinn Sigurdur Sveinsson
  • Gylfi Zoega

Abstract

Recently, mandatory pension contributions in the private sector in Iceland were increased substantially while remaining unchanged in the public sector. This constituted a large natural experiment. We study the effects of this experiment on households’ voluntary saving using administrative micro data with comprehensive third-party reported information on taxpayers’ income, assets and debt for all taxpayers in the country. Using difference-in-differences, we find that households do not reduce voluntary saving when faced with a rise in mandatory saving. Our results are confirmed by the finding that workers who move between the public and the private sector, which have different mandatory saving rates, do not change their voluntary saving behavior. Our survey evidence suggests that these findings may be explained by widespread ignorance about the pension system.

Suggested Citation

  • Svend E. Hougaard Jensen & Sigurdur P. Olafsson & Arnaldur Stefansson & Thorsteinn Sigurdur Sveinsson & Gylfi Zoega, 2022. "Does Mandatory Saving Crowd Out Voluntary Saving? Evidence from a Pension Reform," CESifo Working Paper Series 10061, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10061
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alessie, R.J.M. & Kapteyn, A. & Klijn, F.E., 1997. "Mandatory pensions and personal savings in The Netherlands," Other publications TiSEM bc6fc489-fbc1-4579-8b7d-c, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. William G. Gale, 1998. "The Effects of Pensions on Household Wealth: A Reevaluation of Theory and Evidence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(4), pages 706-723, August.
    3. Orazio P. Attanasio & Susann Rohwedder, 2003. "Pension Wealth and Household Saving: Evidence from Pension Reforms in the United Kingdom," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1499-1521, December.
    4. Arnberg, Søren & Barslund, Mikkel, 2014. "The Crowding-out Effect of Mandatory Labour Market Pension Schemes on Private Savings: Evidence from renters in Denmark," CEPS Papers 8911, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    5. Andersen, Henrik Yde, 2018. "Do tax incentives for saving in pension accounts cause debt accumulation? Evidence from Danish register data," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 35-53.
    6. Feldstein, Martin S, 1974. "Social Security, Induced Retirement, and Aggregate Capital Accumulation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(5), pages 905-926, Sept./Oct.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    pension reform; occupational pensions; saving; retirement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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