Pensions

Abstract

Pensions are benefit contracts that replace a person’s earnings after she reaches old age and retires from the labour force. Pension systems vary widely across countries, but everywhere the government’s role is to provide a minimum through a mix of cash and medical benefits. Governments often provide tax incentives for employers and unions to sponsor occupational pension plans that complement the government-run system. The nature of the pension benefits promised and the assets that back them have profound effects on social welfare, on the development of a country’s domestic asset markets, and on the global financial system.