Empire of the Fund is an expose and examination of the way we save now. With the rise of the 401(k) and demise of the pension, the United States has embarked upon the richest and riskiest experiment in our financial history. Over the next twenty years, nearly eighty million baby boomers will retire at a pace of ten thousand per day. The hypothesis of our experiment is that millions of ordinary, untrained, busy citizens can successfully manage trillions of dollars in a financial system dominated by wealthy, skilled, and powerful financial institutions, many of which have a record of treating individual investors shabbily. The key tools in our 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts are mutual funds, which have ballooned to hold more than $16 trillion. But these funds pose dangers to our savings in three ways: through structural vulnerabilities that give money managers the incentive to focus on marketing over investing; through the very human challenges of managing our savings decades into the future; and through the peril of financial professionals behaving badly, to our economic harm. Though Americans often hear of the importance of low fees in fund investing, few are aware of the astonishing panoply of ways that some financial advisers have illegally diverted money out of mutual funds: from abetting hedge funds to trade after the legal deadline, to inflating the assets on which they are paid a percentage, to paying kickbacks for brokers to sell their funds. This book will forewarn and forearm Americans by illustrating the structural flaws, perverse incentives, and litany of scandals that have bedeviled mutual funds. And by setting forth a pair of policy solutions to improve Americans' financial literacy and bargaining power, it will also attempt to safeguard our individual financial destinies and our nation's fiscal strength.

The goal of Asset-Liability Management (ALM) of a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DB) is to properly manage the risks related to variation in its building blocks on both sides of the balance sheet whilst maintaining the same expected return. This book provides a step-by-step methodology to maximize the complete restructuring and monitoring of the ALM of DB schemes. It is a product of the author's 25 years of experience and technical knowledge in ALM of Pension Funds, portfolio management, investment banking and, specifically, more than 700 meetings with investment experts in the Pension Industry. It includes 400 figures and tables to help the reader make appropriate decisions and identify hidden tricks. It provides an in-depth understanding of how an Asset-Liability structure works, how to assess the efficiency of an investment strategy, and how to maximize the management of cash. Liabilities and Liability Driven Investment techniques (LDI) are explained through numerous examples. The book shows the reader how to select the right LDI manager, and how to define a liability hedging strategy and monitor its efficiency. It demonstrates how to build efficient investment portfolios and select the appropriate asset classes, as well as how to build and monitor an efficient risks and performances report. In addition, it shows how the most common financial instruments work, their roles, the basics of statistics, and the principles of portfolio construction. Finally, it provides introduction to Buy-in, Buyout, and Longevity risk management.

The traditional (final or average salary) pension that employers have provided their employees has suffered a huge decline in labor force coverage in the United Kingdom and the United States, and less severe declines in Canada and elsewhere. The traditional pension provides a precious measure of retirement security by paying retirees an annuity for life. This study compares developments in the countries just named and in Australia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland to explain the forces behind the decline of the traditional pension and to contrast the experience of public sector employer-provided plans, where it remains dominant. Given the great value of the longevity insurance that the traditional plan provides, and the risks its diminished coverage entails, the book proposes a set of measures that either stem the decline or endow defined contribution pensions with some of the attributes of the traditional plan.

Alexandra Hennessy examines an area of Europeanization that has been largely ignored by political analysts: the development of an internal market for workplace pensions. This book offers an analysis of what is at stake in workplace pension reforms, tracing how different states approached them and how national political economy models have shaped actors' bargaining strategy at the EU level. Employing statistical analysis, formal modelling, and in-depth case study research, Hennessy highlights the role of informal signalling and communication processes in designing a common pension market. This book offers a theoretical framework that accounts for historical institutionalism, informal signalling processes and discourse in the Europeanization of workplace pensions - a must-read for students of comparative social and public policy, comparative politics and European politics.

Originally published in 1953 as a textbook for actuaries-in-training, this book gives an overview of the actuarial and legal background to pensions and funds for orphans and widows. It will be of value to anyone interested in the development of pension provision. Crabbe and Poyser also supply a concordance between the Income Tax Act of 1952 and earlier legislation affecting pensions. This book will be of value to anyone interested in the development of pension provision.

Using data from more than 40,000 soldiers of the Union army, this book focuses on the experience of African Americans and immigrants with disabilities, investigating their decision to seek government assistance and their resulting treatment. Pension administrators treated these ex-soldiers differently from native-born whites, but the discrimination was far from seamless - biased evaluations of worthiness intensified in response to administrators' workload and nativists' late-nineteenth-century campaigns. This book finds a remarkable interplay of social concepts, historical context, bureaucratic expediency, and individual initiative. Examining how African Americans and immigrants weighed their circumstances in deciding when to request a pension, whether to employ a pension attorney, or if they should seek institutionalization, it contends that these veterans quietly asserted their right to benefits. Shedding new light on the long history of challenges faced by veterans with disabilities, the book underscores the persistence of these challenges in spite of the recent revolution in disability rights.

This 2006 book treats two vital public policy issues: how should distributions from individual accounts be regulated, and how can the market for private annuities function better? It provides a comprehensive survey of the issues that arise when contributors to individual accounts become eligible for distributions. It also addresses the questions of whether annuitization or other restrictions on distributions should be mandatory, and if so, can the provision of annuities be privatized? Its analytical framework is applicable to a broad range of countries. Given the diminishing importance of public pensions around the world, the growing number of the elderly, and the increasing importance of defined contribution plans, the voluntary demand for private annuities is going to grow. It is vital that annuities be reasonably priced and that the annuity market be effectively regulated. The book investigates both issues, and proposes reforms to enhance the efficiency of the annuity market.

In 1986 the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was amended to abolish mandatory retirement for tenured faculty members in colleges and universities effective January 1, 1994. Will this "uncapping" of the retirement age adversely affect the vitality of academic departments or the prospects of advancement for younger scholars? In a definitive study of faculty retirement in the arts and sciences, Albert Rees and Sharon Smith seek to answer this question. Basing their conclusions on original data collected from thirty-three colleges and universities, they do much to resolve an issue that is a frequent subject of discussion in the academic world and in the press. Rees and Smith reveal that the ending of mandatory retirement will have much smaller effects than those generally anticipated--so small that there is no justification for efforts to have Congress continue exempting faculty members from the ADEA past 1994, the date that the exemption is now due to expire. In addition to their data on retirement patterns, the authors make use of surveys of senior faculty and retired faculty to explore attitudes toward retirement.

Originally published in 1991.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Pension systems are under serious pressure worldwide. This pressure stems not only from the well-known trend of population ageing, but also from those of increasing heterogeneity of the population and increasing labour mobility. The current economic crisis has aggravated these problems, thereby exposing the vulnerability of many pension schemes to macroeconomic shocks. This book reconsiders the multi-pillar pension scheme against the background of these pressures. It adopts an integral perspective and asks how the pension system as a whole contributes to the three basic functions of pension schemes: facilitating life-cycle financial planning, insuring idiosyncratic risks and sharing macroeconomic risks across generations. It focuses on the optimal balance between the various pension pillars and on the optimal design of each of the schemes. It sketches a number of economic trade-offs, showing that countries may opt for different pension schemes depending on how they react to these trade-offs.

Using data from more than 40,000 soldiers of the Union army, this book focuses on the experience of African Americans and immigrants with disabilities, investigating their decision to seek government assistance and their resulting treatment. Pension administrators treated these ex-soldiers differently from native-born whites, but the discrimination was far from seamless - biased evaluations of worthiness intensified in response to administrators' workload and nativists' late-nineteenth-century campaigns. This book finds a remarkable interplay of social concepts, historical context, bureaucratic expediency, and individual initiative. Examining how African Americans and immigrants weighed their circumstances in deciding when to request a pension, whether to employ a pension attorney, or if they should seek institutionalization, it contends that these veterans quietly asserted their right to benefits. Shedding new light on the long history of challenges faced by veterans with disabilities, the book underscores the persistence of these challenges in spite of the recent revolution in disability rights.

Transform the way you think about money in this easy-to-use, jargon-free guide by Anne Boden (CEO of Starling Bank) which busts commonly held financial myths, helping you to get the most of your cash in today's digital world. There's never been a shortage of advice on managing your money, clearing debt, being canny with your cash and getting the best deals. But it can be hard work, and everyone seems to be saying something different. What if you could easily cut through all the rhetoric and noise and everything could be made straightforward? In The Money Revolution, banking entrepreneur, and founder of award winning Starling Bank, Anne Boden shines a spotlight on how we save, spend and invest our money. By adopting a few new behaviours, it's possible to transform your bank balance for the better. The Money Revolution breaks through the traditional thinking about money and what you've always been told you should expect from financial institutions. Sharing the benefits of smart banking, fintech solutions and the advantages of open banking, it covers a range of financial solutions, from savings and investments to pensions, bill payments and travel money. Find out everything you need to know to get the best out of your money every day.

This book treats two vital but neglected public policy issues: how should distributions from individual accounts be regulated, and how can the market for private annuities function better? It provides a comprehensive survey of the issues that arise when contributors to individual accounts become eligible for distributions. It also addresses the questions of whether annuitization or other restrictions on distributions should be mandatory, and if so, can the provision of annuities be privatized? Its analytical framework is applicable to a broad range of countries. Given the diminishing importance of public pensions around the world, the growing number of the elderly, and the increasing importance of defined contribution plans, the voluntary demand for private annuities is going to grow. It is vital that annuities be reasonably priced and that the annuity market be effectively regulated. The book investigates both issues, and proposes reforms to enhance the efficiency of the annuity market.

This book posits that retirement security is the central policy concern of our time. A generation of 'Baby Boomers' is on the verge of retirement, yet pension systems confront crushing challenges, and governments often appear confused about which direction they should move in. Contributors to this volume clarify the discussion by addressing the question: 'What are the new risks and rewards in pensions, and what paths can stakeholders chose to solve these problems?'. The chapters set their sights on employees' needs and expectations, employers' intentions and realizations, and policymakers' efforts to resolve the many challenges. Despite the fact that retirement systems face deep stresses exacerbated by volatile capital markets, poor corporate earning streams, weak macroeconomic performance, and international turmoil, nevertheless, contributors in this volume show courage and creativity in plotting the course over uneven terrain. In the book, three aspects of the evolution of risk and reward-sharing in retirement are evaluated, to offer guidance to pension fiduciaries, plan participants, and policymakers. First, it formulates new perspectives for assessing retirement risks and rewards. Second, it evaluates efforts to insure retirement plans. Third, it proposes several new strategies for managing retirement system risk. The volume represents an invaluable addition to the Pension Research Council/Oxford University Press series. It will be especially useful for managers working toward more efficient pension plans; to scholars and policymakers seeking to maximize pension design effectiveness; and to actuaries and tax specialists concerned with pension regulation. The Pension Research Council at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania was founded 50 years ago to encourage research and teaching on pensions and retirement security. Council projects address the long-term issues that underlie contemporary concerns and seek to broaden public understanding of these complex arrangements through research into their social, economic, legal, actuarial, and financial foundations of privately and publicly-provided benefits.

This book presents an academic and a practical aspect on managing pension funds to clarify the global debate on social security. The authors establish the basic choices in designating any system to help policy makers develop the system that achieves their many objectives. They examine reforms in Latin America to highlight flaws and to estimate the true cost of these reforms and factors affecting these costs. The authors then discuss how the United States and Spain can implement robust systems incorporating many of the ideal features. The success of reforms depends on financial innovation to mitigate key risks and some innovations are discussed, which also demonstrates how pension reform choices affect the achievement of retirement objectives. Finally, the authors examine some proposed hybrid options to show how the beneficial features of these hybrids can be captured through good design in a single fund.

This book presents an academic and a practical aspect on managing pension funds to clarify the global debate on social security. The authors establish the basic choices in designating any system to help policy makers develop the system that achieves their many objectives. They examine reforms in Latin America to highlight flaws and to estimate the true cost of these reforms and factors affecting these costs. The authors then discuss how the United States and Spain can implement robust systems incorporating many of the ideal features. The success of reforms depends on financial innovation to mitigate key risks and some innovations are discussed, which also demonstrates how pension reform choices affect the achievement of retirement objectives. Finally, the authors examine some proposed hybrid options to show how the beneficial features of these hybrids can be captured through good design in a single fund.

The rapid aging of the world's populations has triggered an anxious response in many governments that stresses the need to set up or radically overhaul their mandatory pension policies. This wideranging analysis compares and contrasts the policies and schemes of these countries, using many tables, graphs and charts to summarize important findings.

The rapid aging of the world's populations has triggered an anxious response in many governments that stresses the need to set up or radically overhaul their mandatory pension policies. This wideranging analysis compares and contrasts the policies and schemes of these countries, using many tables, graphs and charts to summarize important findings.

European pension systems are increasingly under pressure. In this book Giuliano Bonoli examines policymakers' efforts to cope, caught between public support for existing pension schemes and the expected inability to sustain current arrangements in the context of an aging population. This book compares and assesses the process of pension policy-making in the UK, France and Switzerland, examining the factors that influence pension reform. The book looks at new pension legislation, demographic change, and pension financing, and will be of interest to policymakers as well as students of the welfare state.

European pension systems are increasingly under pressure. In this book Giuliano Bonoli examines policymakers' efforts to cope, caught between public support for existing pension schemes and the expected inability to sustain current arrangements in the context of an aging population. This book compares and assesses the process of pension policy-making in the UK, France and Switzerland, examining the factors that influence pension reform. The book looks at new pension legislation, demographic change, and pension financing, and will be of interest to policymakers as well as students of the welfare state.

The academic literature on pension governance is sparse and this book will fill some important gaps by bringing together original contributions from around the world on subjects related to the area. The book initially lays out the main frameworks for pension fund governance and then goes on to examine global governance practice and experience and country studies on pension funds in the United States and Australia. The final section of this in-depth study discusses the role of government guarantees. The editors and contributors to this book have struck a balance between the various dimensions of the governance problem. Whilst ensuring that the theoretical frameworks are represented, at the same time, they have also recognized that it is vital to report on empirical work. Private pensions are examined closely, while also acknowledging that public pension funds are extremely important actors. Pension Fund Governance will appeal to academics and researchers of financial economics and financial management, as well as those in the fields of public finance and public sector economics. Furthermore the book will also find an audience among those in commercial and policy roles which involve pensions, including pension actuaries.

The need for pension reform is widely discussed against the backdrop of falling fertility rates and rising longevity. These developments challenge pension systems which in many countries already encounter problems with pension adequacy and financial sustainability. In the debate, reference is often made to Denmark as a model for pension system reform. This book offers the first coherent and in-depth description and analysis of the Danish pension system and its structure and performance. As is well-known to scholars and experts, there is a huge leap from considering general characterisations of pension systems in terms of various performance indicators to understand the structure of particular pension systems. This book aims to introduce these aspects to an international readership, explaining the structure and design of the pension system and its performance, benefit structure, regulation, critical reforms, and macroeconomic implications, as well as investment policies in pension funds in general.

J?sef Bany?r and J?zsef M?sz?ros address issues surrounding the pension systems of developed countries, as well as societies that are experiencing falling birth rates and rising life expectancies. The authors focus on Hungary because it excellently illustrates the difficulties and demographic challenges facing Central Europe as it transforms economically.

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Notwithstanding the terrible price the world has paid in the coronavirus pandemic, the fact remains that longevity at older ages is likely to continue to rise in the medium and longer term. This volume explores how the private and public sectors can collaborate via public-private partnerships (PPPs) to develop new mechanisms to reduce older people's risk of outliving their assets in later life. As this volume shows, PPPs typically involve shared government financing alongside private sector partner expertise, management responsibility, and accountability. In addition to offering empirical evidence on examples where this is working well, contributors provide case studies, discuss survey results, and examine a variety of different financial and insurance products to better meet the needs of the aging population. This volume will be informative to researchers, plan sponsors, students, and policymakers seeking to enhance retirement plan offerings.

Around the world, people nearing and entering retirement are holding ever-greater levels of debt than in the past. This is not a benign situation, as many pre-retirees and retirees are stressed about their indebtedness. Moreover, this growth in debt among the older population may render retirees vulnerable to financial shocks, medical care bills, and changes in interest rates. Contributors to this volume explore key aspects of the rise in debt across older cohorts, drill down into the types of debt and reasons for debt incurred by the older population, and review policies to remedy some of the financial problems facing older persons, in the US and elsewhere. The authors explore which groups are most affected by debt and identify the factors producing this important increase in leverage at older ages. It is clear that the economic and market environment is influential when it comes to saving and debt. Access to easy borrowing, low interest rates, and the rising cost of education have had significant impacts on how much people borrow, and how much debt they carry at older ages. In this environment, the capacity to manage debt is ever more important as older workers lack the opportunity to recover from mistakes.