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The transition from a-pay-as-you-go to a fully-funded Social Security System: is there a role for social insurance?

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  • Rowena A. Pecchenino
  • Patricia S. Pollard

Abstract

This paper develops a model to examine the effects of introducing a fully-funded government sponsored pension plan into an overlapping generations model with an extant pay-as-you-go social security system. We examine whether individual and social welfare can be improved by phasing out the current pay-as-you-go system and replacing it with a fully-funded system in which pension benefits are at least partially annuitized. Furthermore, we consider the effects of means testing social security benefits and providing a income guarantee funded in a pay-as-you-go manner. We find that the presence of risky investments increases the likelihood that the maintenance of a portion of the pay-as-you-go system, through a minimum retirement income guarantee, will be welfare improving.

Suggested Citation

  • Rowena A. Pecchenino & Patricia S. Pollard, 1998. "The transition from a-pay-as-you-go to a fully-funded Social Security System: is there a role for social insurance?," Working Papers 1997-022, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:1997-022
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