Abstract
The "annuity puzzle," conveying the apparently low interest of retirees in longevity insurance, is central to household finance. One possible explanation for low annuitization is "public care aversion" (PCA), retiree aversion to simultaneously running out of wealth and being in need of long term care. Another possible explanation is an intentional bequest motive. To disentangle the relative importance of PCA and bequest motive, we estimate a structural model of the retirement phase using a novel survey instrument that includes hypothetical questions. We identify PCA as very significant and bequest motives that spread deep into the middle class. Our results highlight potential interest in annuities that make special allowance for long term care expenses.
Full Citation
The Journal of Finance
vol.
66
,
(April 01, 2011):
519
-561
.