Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/284223 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
IFS Working Papers No. 22/53
Publisher: 
Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), London
Abstract: 
Retired households, especially those with high lifetime income, decumulate their wealth very slowly, and many die leaving large estates. The three leading explanations for the 'retirement savings puzzle' are the desire to insure against uncertain lifespans and medical expenses, the desire to leave bequests to one's heirs, and the desire to remain in one's own home. We discuss the empirical strategies used to differentiate these motivations, most of which go beyond wealth to exploit additional features of the data. The literature suggests that all the motivations are present, but has yet to reach a consensus about their relative importance.
Subjects: 
Retirees
saving
precautionary saving
health care costs
inheritance
insurance coverage
USA
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
932.09 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.