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Tax-Sheltered Retirement Accounts: Can Financial Education Improve Decisions?

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  • M. Martin Boyer
  • Philippe d'Astous
  • Pierre-Carl Michaud

Abstract

We conduct a stated-choice experiment to analyze the decision to contribute to front- or back-loaded tax-sheltered savings accounts. Our experimental design includes a randomized financial education treatment that provides information on these accounts. We assess whether respondents learn about the tax implications of these accounts and make contribution choices that increase after-tax income when exposed to the intervention. We find that our intervention improves both the understanding of the tax implications of the savings accounts (an increase of 6 to 15 percent) and contribution decisions. We find effects on after-tax lifetime-income for respondents by up to $1,900 per scenario presented.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Martin Boyer & Philippe d'Astous & Pierre-Carl Michaud, 2019. "Tax-Sheltered Retirement Accounts: Can Financial Education Improve Decisions?," NBER Working Papers 26128, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26128
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    1. Stefania Basiglio & Noemi Oggero, 2020. "The Effects of Pension Information on Individuals’ Economic Outcomes: A Survey," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-16, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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