Abstract
Private pensions are currently of increasing importance within Europe as a result of population aging and its pressure on social security, and more specifically on public pensions. Women in particular will be at increased risk, due to their shorter and more fragmented labour market trajectories, reducing their possibilities to accumulate pension rights. Despite its importance, little research focusses on private pension saving behaviour and more specifically on gender differences. However, knowledge about private pensions can offer important insights for policymakers. Therefore, this project will focus on examining the determinants of private pension saving decisions, both for occupational pensions as well as personal private pension plans. The objectives are to: 1) estimate selection into receiving a pension income for the three pension pillars, and its effect on the overall pension gap, 2) examine whether there is a trade-off between wages and occupational pensions, and if this differs by gender by means of a discrete-choice experiment, 3) analyse what happens when selection into occupational pension schemes is automatic, by evaluating the effects of auto-enrolment in the UK, and 4) estimate the effect of children on private pension saving participation and contributions. Different from previous research on the gender gap in private pensions, the focus will be on behaviour of the current working population instead of looking at the pension income of the retired population.
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