scholarly journals Development of the taxation of retirement products in Bulgaria

VUZF Review ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Stanislav Dimitrov
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Tax Policy ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Tax Incentives ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Economic Environment

Retirement products are long-term savings products. It is widespread government to encourage the saving via tax incentives. Bulgaria follows favourable taxation of saving in voluntary pension funds. The paper is searching answer whether the applied tax policy of personal retirement products in Bulgaria is efficient. The research is focused on three main areas: the nature of the tax incentives in the country; the development of the taxation of pensions across European Union and the areas for improvements of the tax policy taking into account the characteristics of the Bulgarian socio-economic environment. The efficiency of the tax advantages often is under doubt in the literature. These studies omit the fact that without tax reliefs the coverage and the efficiency of saving in personal pension plans will be low. One of the conclusions of the current research is that the tax incentives for personal retirement products have to be a part of the design of the plans and these reliefs need to be adapted to the changing economic environment. The paper reaches the conclusion that evolution of the taxation of pensions in the country is needed. The positive changes will increase the trust in the personal retirement products and will improve the adequacy and sustainability of the overall pension system in Bulgaria. This evolution can be done through set of measures that will encourage people to save and will be factor for improving the results from the saving in personal pension plans.

scholarly journals Contribution volatility and public pension reform

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
TRAVIS ST. CLAIR ◽  
JUAN PABLO MARTINEZ GUZMAN
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Unfunded Liabilities

AbstractIn the wake of the economic downturn of 2008–2009, researchers and policymakers have focused considerable attention on the extent of unfunded liabilities in US public sector pension plans and the implications for the long term fiscal sustainability of state and local governments. In response to the growth in liabilities, many states have introduced legislation that cuts back on defined benefit (DB) plan commitments, in some cases even shifting the pension system from a DB to a defined contribution or hybrid plan. This paper explores the factors that have led states to engage in pension reform, focusing particular attention on one factor that has only recently gained attention in the research literature: contribution volatility. While unfunded liabilities have significant long-term solvency implications, in the short term fluctuations in the amount of required contributions pose substantial difficulties for the ability of plan sponsors to balance budgets and engage in strategic planning. We begin by quantifying the volatility in the required contributions US states were expected to make between 2001 and 2013 and comparing the volatility of pension spending to other relevant tax and spending measures. Next, we describe the various types of pension reforms that states have implemented and examine the fiscal pressures facing those states that have engaged in reform. States with greater fluctuations in their required payments have been more likely to reduce benefits and increase employee contributions; they have also been more likely to institute these reforms sooner.

scholarly journals Impacto da Aplicação em Ativos Internacionais no Desempenho dos Fundos de Pensão no Brasil

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 237
Author(s):  
Raphael Braga Silva ◽  
Roberto Moreno Moreira ◽  
Luiz Felipe Jacques Motta
Keyword(s):  
Hedge Funds ◽  
Efficient Frontier ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Economic Environment ◽  
Financial Health ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Asset Classes ◽  
International Assets

The present study has performed an analysis of the effects caused in the performance of Brazilian pension funds by the inclusion of international assets in their portfolios. The Resolution CMN 3456 of June 1, 2007 allowed pension funds in Brazil to allocate up to 3% of their investments in international hedge funds. Given the wide range of assets classes available in this category of hedge funds, this study has focused on international assets. The investments in such asset classes do not generate a major effect on the efficient frontier of the pension funds’ investments. The results do not change much even if we increase the constraint from 3% to 20%. However, changes in the current economic environment indicate that finding alternative investments that can enhance the asset performance on a long term view will be a crucial factor to maintain the financial health of pension funds.

Non-governmental coverage of retirement benefits as part of the national socio-economic policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-466
Author(s):  
L.D. Kapranova
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Fund Raising ◽  
Real Economy ◽  
Investment Portfolio ◽  
Retirement Benefits ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Russian Federation

Subject. The article examines the existing non-governmental system of retirement benefits and non-governmental pension funds, key trends and issues in the Russian Federation. Objectives. I analyze key performance indicators of non-governmental pension funds and detect the main development challenges. I also study the composition and mix of their investment portfolio, growth in pension savings and their return. Methods. The study relies upon methods of logic, statistical, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and graphical methods for representing results of the analysis. Results. I discovered that more people opt for non-governmental pension plans in the Russian Federation. I analyzed the comprehensive investment portfolio of a non-governmental pension fund and found a growth in deposited funds and their return. Non-governmental funds’ investment portfolio now include more investment in the real economy. Non-governmental pension funds may become a source of financing the real economy to implement long-terms infrastructure projects through PPP. Conclusions and Relevance. Continuing their development, non-governmental pension funds are called on to increase the standard of living and ensure the sustainability of the pension system. The stability of the national economy, growing income of the population and trust in financial institutions are cornerstones for reinforcing the non-governmental pension system. The fact that the funded part of retirement pension has been frozen impedes the development of non-governmental pension funds, since the influx of financial resources is restricted. Long-term savings people make in non-governmental funds may streamline investments in the economy. Currently, the fund raising program for non-governmental pensions funds is insufficiently implemented, with efforts to revitalize it being ineffective.

scholarly journals Tax Incentives as a Part of Governments’ Applied Mechanisms for the Third Pension Pillar in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (14) ◽  
pp. 146-155
Author(s):  
Evija Dundure ◽  
Biruta Sloka
Keyword(s):  
Pension System ◽  
Tax Incentives ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Pension Scheme ◽  
Pension Systems ◽  
The Third ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Tax Exempt ◽  
The Baltic

The main objective of the improvements to public pension systems is to create a balanced three-pillar pension structure and increase public accountability for pension capital formation. Most pension systems are based on the first two pension system pillars – mandatory contributions in the state compulsory unfunded pension scheme and the state-funded or accumulated pension scheme in pension funds. However, the pension level adequacy has been reached by adding the third pension system pillar - voluntary investments in private pension funds. Governments are private pension system policymakers by defining a legal framework and providing tax incentives for voluntary investments for retirement. In the Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the third pension pillar is at an early stage of its development, and as such, should be particularly stimulated. This research focuses on the tax incentives utilized by the governments of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and aims to ascertain and compare the effectiveness of the tax incentive policies applied to the third pension pillar by the governments of the three Baltic countries. It questions the effectiveness of the incentive mechanisms the governments of the Baltic countries have chosen, which include involving most of the population in the private pension saving programs. The research methods used are the analysis of scientific publications on the previously conducted research, acts of legislation of Baltic countries, as well as an analytical study of statistical data on the development of voluntary pension fund contributions in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The research results indicate that the tax incentives are the mechanism to motivate the population to create savings in the third pension pillar in all three Baltic countries. However, Latvia being the country with the highest coverage rate of the third pension pillar has the most unfavorable conditions for creating savings. There are no tax incentives on returns on investment and tax-exempt withdrawals in Latvia, while Estonia and Lithuania have all positions tax-exempt. A more detailed analysis of the tax incentives at the contribution stage explains the underdeveloped third pension pillar in Lithuania, as Lithuanian personal income tax reliefs are targeted at low or medium wages or gross income. The research has highlighted the impact of tax incentives on voluntary savings for retirement in the three Baltic countries, opening a discussion about the effectiveness of governments' applied mechanisms.

scholarly journals Role of tax incentives for increase in personal pensions saving

VUZF Review ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 169-178
Author(s):  
Stanislav Dimitrov
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Tax Policy ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Tax Incentives ◽  
Retirement Savings ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Sustainable Income

Personal pensions increase their role in the retirement savings in the European Union. The design of the personal pensions is of great importance for the success of the saving. In the European Union there is no common legislation on the taxation of pensions. In recent years, the personal responsibility of savers for making decisions to save for retirement has increased. The limited ability of public pension systems to guarantee an adequate and sustainable income after working age necessitates the search for opportunities to fill this "pension gap". That is why the market for long-term savings products is central to achieving adequate income replacement and maintaining the standard of living of the elderly. This is one of the reasons for the greater role of the tax treatment of the savings products. The paper is analyzing the role of tax incentives for the increase of the saving in personal pension products. The study is searching answer which are the most important steps for efficient tax policy of retirement savings products. The new product on the European Union market, the pan-European personal pension product, sheds extra light on the topic of the importance and the efficiency of the tax treatment of saving in personal pension products. The research finds out that favourable tax treatment for saving in personal pension products is a must but it has to be major part of the overall social welfare and tax policy of the member states.

scholarly journals PORTFOLIO AND BENCHMARK RETURNS OF PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOR TURKEY

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 3891-3910
Author(s):  
Fatih KAYHAN ◽  
Mehmet İSLAMOĞLU ◽  
Mehmet APAN
Keyword(s):  
Capital Market ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Regulatory Structure ◽  
Portfolio Returns ◽  
Pension Fund Management ◽  
Portfolio Structure

The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether pension fund returns are in line with benchmark returns taking into account the regulatory structure in Turkey. The methodology of the study is the cumulative portfolio returns. Data is retrieved from TEFAS Platform and official web site of Capital Market Board of Turkey. Portfolio and benchmark of pension funds are compared. Only standard pension funds are covered within the scope of voluntary pension funds of Turkey. Findings are as follows; Portfolio returns and benchmark returns are in line significantly. The results are partly attributable to the regulations about pension fund management and portfolio structure. The paper also shows that in the long term, the volatility of returns decreases and returns prove to conform with the primary purpose of the private pension system.                            

scholarly journals PARTICIPATION OF THE POPULATION IN PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS: PROBLEMS AND MOTIVATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (36) ◽  
pp. 515-521
Author(s):  
O. Dymnich ◽  
T. Stetsyuk ◽  
D. Gamankov ◽  
L. Parcheta
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Finance ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Behavioral Theory ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
The Third ◽  
Current State ◽  
Pension Schemes ◽  
Finance Theory

The purpose of this paper is a thorough analysis of the current state of the market of private pension insurance in Ukraine, a description of the main approaches of behavioral theory of finance as well as proposals for their use in domestic practice. The development of the national pension system only possible in case the population considerably participates in Private Pension Funds’ function. This pillar is in many countries the basis of pension systems. Undoubtedly, the PPFs as the third pillar of the Ukrainian pension system is essentially less popular than in foreign countries. However, we can affirm that the last years have become the most productive and effective for PPFs activity. It means that there is an understanding the direction to develop the private pensions system, and, consequently, the amount of attraction of individuals to greater provision at retirement age.  According to scientists, it is advisable to apply for the approaches based on the behavioral finance theory, which has gained its special acumen after the global financial crisis. During the last years, scientists working in the realm of behavioral finance theory have discovered that while people are trying to maximize their personal well-being, there are certain factors that significantly limit their choices. Recognition of the existence of these constraints has significantly changed the understanding of the modern science of the process of adopting individual economic and financial decisions. Especially those relating to long-term consumption and savings, such as: accumulation (accumulation phase) and decumulation (consumption phase) of assets in pension schemes. Thus, all these features of human behavior are successfully used in the world in the elaboration of pension schemes to enhance long-term retirement savings. The article developed scientific and methodological approaches to increase the motivation of people to pension savings in private pension funds on the basis of behavioral theory of finance, which, in turn, allows to justify effective development programs of the third level of the pension system of Ukraine. The analysis of the current state of the private pension market in Ukraine which is carried out in this paper, should result the clear understanding that in the current economic climate, the government’s main efforts to further reform the domestic pension system should focus on third-level pillar based on private pension funds operating under “defined contribution” pension schemes. The main advantage of the participation of private pension funds in the pension system is that they allow to distribute between its three components the risks associated with changes in the demographic situation (to which the solidarity system is most sensitive) and with fluctuations in the economy and capital markets (which has the greatest impact on the savings system). Thereby it allows to make the pension system more financially balanced and stable, which is a prerequisite for the effective functioning of the entire social insurance system of Ukraine.

Iran’s pension system courts catastrophe

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Goods ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Fiscal Deficit ◽  
Entire System ◽  
Planning Commission ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past

Subject Iran’s pension funds. Significance Over the past year, officials in Tehran have publicly discussed concerns about the threat of bankruptcy to Iran’s pensions funds. Mohammad Hosseini, a member of parliament’s Budget and Planning Commission, on August 9 announced that the entire system was at serious risk of collapse. Impacts Government commitment to prop up the pension funds will widen the fiscal deficit. Rouhani’s failure to avert a pension crisis could undermine long-term support for political moderates. In case of a systemic breakdown, pensioners’ inability to pay for housing and consumer goods would have an impact across economic sectors.

Collective pension schemes and individual choice

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULES H. VAN BINSBERGEN ◽  
DIRK BROEDERS ◽  
MYRTHE DE JONG ◽  
RALPH S. J. KOIJEN
Keyword(s):  
Risk Sharing ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Current System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Collective Agreement ◽  
Individual Choice ◽  
Dominant Form ◽  
Pension Schemes ◽  
Individual Choices

AbstractCollective pension schemes are the dominant form of saving for retirement in the Netherlands. We investigate the introduction of individual choices into a collective pension system without affecting the generally accepted advantages of a collective agreement. Increasing individual choices can be beneficial, as it prevents pension plans from making decisions for the average plan participant that may not be optimal for individual participants. We argue for a system in which individuals choose from a set of low-cost balanced index funds, together with a level of intergenerational guarantees that are exchange-traded. This system maintains the two primary advantages of collective agreements: risk sharing and low implementation costs, while facilitating different risk taking behavior at the individual level. To facilitate individual choices within collective pension schemes, it is important to enhance the transparency associated with intergenerational guarantees to all participants in the scheme, both in terms of their price and quantity. We argue that the current system, in which long-term guarantees are given by the young to the old within a specific fund but not across pension funds, is not transparent and we argue that it can be suboptimal. We propose a system ofPension Guarantee Exchanges(PGEs) that increase transparency and allow pension funds with different age distributions to trade with each other. Knowing the price of such guarantees facilitates the introduction of individual portfolio choices within collective pension schemes.

scholarly journals The impact of alternative assets on the performance of Brazilian private pension funds

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (86) ◽  
pp. 314-330
Author(s):  
Francis Amim Flores ◽  
Carlos Heitor Campani ◽  
Raphael Moses Roquete
Keyword(s):  
Pension System ◽  
Hedge Fund ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Public Utilities ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Investment Funds ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This article assesses the impact of alternative assets on the performance of Brazilian private pension funds. Few studies touch on this topic in Brazil and most only investigate the addition of alternative assets and their impact on the performance. The market of open private pension funds in Brazil has been growing rapidly in recent years and gaining much relevance, especially after the announcement of the reformulation of the Brazilian pension system. In 2018, the Free Benefit Generating Plan (PGBL) and the Free Benefit Generating Life (VGBL) represented more than 94% of total assets in their sector. The Brazilian specially constituted investment funds (FIEs) of PGBL and VGBL private pension plans are characterized by their dependence on fixed income assets. Brazil currently faces an unprecedent low interest rate scenario - which, following a worldwide panorama, seems to be set for a long time - and pension fund managers must search for alternative investments that aggregate both risk premia and diversification. The results of this study may support managers in this little-discussed matter. We compare the performance of FIEs without additional alternative assets versus the portfolio with alternative assets, adding a hedge fund index, an equity mutual funds index, a commodity index, an electric power index, a public utilities index, a gold index, and a real estate index. Several performance measures were used, considering Brazilian regulations and a rebalancing strategy. Our results showed that almost all alternative assets used in this study improved the performance of the Brazilian FIEs of PGBL and VGBL private pension plans, especially the public utilities index and the hedge fund index. Some even improved the portfolio tail risk.

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