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Does information about the pension system affect knowledge and retirement plans? Evidence from a survey experiment*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2013

HENNING FINSERAAS  and
NIKLAS JAKOBSSON
HENNING FINSERAAS
Affiliation:
Institute for Social Research (ISF) and Norwegian Social Research (NOVA)
NIKLAS JAKOBSSON
Affiliation:
Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) (e-mail: niklas.jakobsson@nova.no)
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Abstract

We present the results of a survey experiment where the treatment group was provided with an information brochure regarding recently implemented changes in the Norwegian pension system, whereas a control group was not. We find that those who received the information are more likely to respond correctly to questions regarding the new pension system. The information effect is larger for those with high education, but only for the most complex aspect of the reform. Despite greater knowledge of the reform in the treatment group, we find no differences between the treatment and control group in their preferences regarding when to retire or whether to combine work and pension uptake.

Keywords

H30J26Experimentinformationpensionpension systemretirementsurvey
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Pension Economics & Finance , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 250 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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Footnotes

*

We would like to thank Jon Ivar Elstad and Axel West Pedersen for useful comments and suggestions. The research reported in this paper was supported by a grant from the Research Council of Norway (project no. 210446).

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