Who foregoes survivor protection in employer-sponsored pension annuities?

TitleWho foregoes survivor protection in employer-sponsored pension annuities?
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2005
AuthorsJohnson, RW, Uccello, CE, Goldwyn, JH
JournalGerontologist
Volume45
Issue1
Pagination26-35
Date Published2005 Feb
ISSN Number0016-9013
KeywordsFemale, Humans, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Pensions, Socioeconomic factors, Spouses, United States
Abstract

PURPOSE: Retirees in traditional pension plans must generally choose between single life annuities, which provide regular payments until death, and joint and survivor annuities, which pay less each month but continue to make payments to the spouse after the death of the retired worker. This article examines the payout decision and measures the share of married retirees with pension annuities who forego survivor protection.

DESIGN AND METHODS: The analysis consists of a probit model of the pension payout decision, based on data from the 1992-2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.

RESULTS: More than one quarter (28%) of married men and two thirds of married women receiving employer-sponsored retirement annuities declined survivor protection. Men with small pensions and limited household wealth, men in better health than their spouses, and men whose spouses have pension coverage from their own employers are more likely than other men to reject survivor protection.

IMPLICATIONS: Most workers appear to make payout decisions by rationally balancing the costs and benefits of each type of annuity, suggesting that existing measures to encourage joint and survivor annuities are adequate. However, the growth in 401(k) plans, which are generally not covered by existing laws protecting spousal pension rights, may leave widows vulnerable.

DOI10.1093/geront/45.1.26
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15695415?dopt=Abstract

Endnote Keywords

Annuities/Pensions/Survivors/Female/Multivariate Analysis/Socioeconomic Factors/Spouses/United States

Endnote ID

14360

Alternate JournalGerontologist
Citation Key7020
PubMed ID15695415