12 February 2009

OECD Private Pensions Outlook 2008

The Outlook presents a special feature on the implications of the financial crisis for private pensions and analyses private pension arrangements across OECD and selected non-OECD countries.

The Outlook presents a special feature on the implications of the financial crisis for private pensions and analyses private pension arrangements across OECD and selected non-OECD countries. It focuses on the role of pension funds, and also provides evidence on public pension reserve funds which complement the financing of social security systems.

 

This edition starts with a special feature on the implications of the financial crisis for private pensions and presents a framework for evaluating the trends shaping the pensions industry, based on the role of the private pensions in relation to the public pension system.

 

There is a critical need for comparable information on the evolution and performance of private pension systems, the OECD says. Such information can help pension authorities design better policies and allows employers and pension professionals to better understand what features of private pension systems work best in different contexts.

 

Ø       Chapter 1 describes the major expansion of funding and private pensions but raises concerns over their growth in some countries.

Ø       Chapter 2 deals with the concerns over the small size of individual pension funds in many OECD countries and the suitability of different investment strategies.

Ø       Chapter 3 shows that the funds set up to support pay-as-you-go public pension systems, had grown rapidly before the onset of the crisis and portfolios had become increasingly exposed to equity markets.

Ø       Chapter 4 provides an evaluation of the performance of private pension systems according to key policy criteria such as the extent of coverage of private pension systems, the adequacy and security of benefits provided, DB pension fund solvency, investment performance and administrative efficiency.

Ø       The last part of the publication contains a set of country profiles which describe in a concise manner the design of private pension systems in OECD countries.

 

Press release

Executive summary

Further information

 

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