November 2019

29Nov

The Future of Pension Plans in the EU Internal Market: Coping with Trade-Offs Between Social Rights and Capital Markets

By Nazaré da Costa Cabral, Nuno Cunha Rodrigues This edited volume takes a closer look at various European pension-plan models and the recent challenges, trends and predictions related to the design of such schemes. The contributors analyse new ideas, both from national governments and European institutions, and consider current debates on topics such as the Capital Markets Union (CMU) and the so-called ‘European Pillar of Social Rights’ – calling for a new approach to social policy at the European level...

November 29, 2019
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26Nov

France’s December strikes: ‘Expect major disruption that could last until New Year’

Major disruption that could last until the New Year - that's the view of one French political analyst on what will happen once 'unlimited' strikes begin in France on December 5th. The French government and unions are squaring up for a battle as mass strike action is declared over plans to reform the French pension system. Read also Pension reform in France ‘a response to gilets jaunes’ The first declared strike day is December 5th, but many unions say they...

November 26, 2019
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22Nov

How Would 401(K) ‘Rothification’ Alter Saving, Retirement Security, and Inequality?

By Vanya Horneff, Raimond Maurer, Olivia S. Mitchell The US has long incentivized retirement saving in 401(k) and similar retirement accounts by permitting workers to defer taxes on contributions, levying them instead when retirees withdraw funds in retirement. This paper develops a dynamic life cycle model to show how and whether ‘Rothification’ – that is, taxing 401(k) contributions rather than payouts – would alter household saving, investment, and Social Security claiming patterns. We show that these changes differ importantly...

November 22, 2019
Articles, Pension design, Savings, ,
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22Nov

Fiscal Incidence in Moldova: A Commitment to Equity Analysis

By Alexandru Cojocaru, Mikhail Matytsin, Valeriu Prohnitchi This paper uses methods developed by the Commitment to Equity Institute and data from the Household Budget Survey to assess the effects of government taxation and social spending on poverty and inequality in Moldova. The paper presents the first detailed distributional analysis of the tax and expenditure sides of the fiscal system, examining in particular the contribution of different taxes and transfers to poverty and inequality reduction in Moldova, as well as...

November 22, 2019
Adequacy, Articles, Pension design, , , ,
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15Nov

Fiscal Incidence in Moldova: A Commitment to Equity Analysis

By Alexandru Cojocaru, Mikhail Matytsin, Valeriu Prohnitchi T his paper uses methods developed by the Commitment to Equity Institute and data from the Household Budget Survey to assess the effects of government taxation and social spending on poverty and inequality in Moldova. The paper presents the first detailed distributional analysis of the tax and expenditure sides of the fiscal system, examining in particular the contribution of different taxes and transfers to poverty and inequality reduction in Moldova, as well as...

November 15, 2019
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08Nov

Social Protection in Developing Countries: Reforming Systems

By Katja Bender, Markus Kaltenborn, Christian Pfleiderer, Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona Providing universal access to social protection and health systems for all members of society, including the poor and vulnerable, is increasingly considered crucial to international development debates. This is the first book to explore from an interdisciplinary and global perspective the reforms of social protection systems introduced in recent years by many governments of low and middle-income countries. Although a growing body of literature has been concerned with the...

November 8, 2019
Adequacy, Books, System Sustainability, ,
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04Nov

Ireland. 54% of women who had State pensions reviewed after ‘cruel’ 2012 changes will get more money

54% OF WOMEN who had their State pensions reviewed following “cruel” 2012 changes are to get more money. Changes to the State pension introduced by the government in 2012 meant that carers who took time off work received less in their State pension – which particularly affected women who took time out to have children. Last year, Fine Gael promised to review the anomaly, and indicated that it would cost €55 million to fix it. The new approach meant...

November 4, 2019
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October 2019

25Oct

Mozambique Receives US$35 Million Grants of Additional Financing for Social Protection [EN/PT]

The World Bank approved today an International Development Association (IDA)* grant of US$35 million equivalent from the institution’s Crises Response Window as additional financing to scale up the Government of Mozambique’s safety net programs in response to the devastating effects of the cyclones Idai and Kenneth on people’s livelihoods in affected communities. This financing is accompanied by a US$10 million grant from a Multidonor Trust Fund supported by the Department for International Development, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden....

October 25, 2019
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22Oct

UK. FCA calls for pension policy simplification

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called on pensions policy to be simplified for consumers due to the overly complex nature of defined contribution schemes. Speaking at the Cicero event on the future of regulation, FCA executive director of strategy and competition, Christopher Woolard, said that choices that members may not understand can make a “huge difference” to their retirement outcomes. He outlined the importance of advice for consumers in making these decisions and helping them understand the...

October 22, 2019
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21Oct

Croatia: retirement without peace

Most retired people in Croatia receive the standard pension, which for July was 2,228 kuna (€300). 15,546 retired people receive a pension of less than 1,000 kuna. Adding those who receive pensions in between the two amounts we arrive at the number of 586,613 persons with an income lower than 2,228 kuna, or 55.31 percent of retired people. Peace in retirement clearly still needs to be fought for. There is a whole series of problems with the Croatian pensions...

October 21, 2019
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