Alternative Measures of Replacement Rates

34 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2008

See all articles by Michael D. Hurd

Michael D. Hurd

RAND Corporation; State University of New York at Stony Brook - College of Arts and Science - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Susann Rohwedder

RAND Corporation

Date Written: October 2006

Abstract

This study finds that on average those just past the usual retirement age are adequately prepared for retirement in that they will be able to follow a path of consumption that begins at their current level of consumption and then follows an age-pattern similar to that of current retirees. That pattern is similar to what would be found from a theoretically derived and estimated life-cycle model. Thus we do not find inadequate preparation for retirement on average or even at the median. This is not true, however, for all groups in the population. In particular, singles lacking a high school education are likely to be forced to reduce consumption: some 62% would have died with negative wealth had they followed the consumption path given by our data. Future research will show the extent to which this percentage is over-estimated because we did not account for differential mortality.

Suggested Citation

Hurd, Michael D. and Rohwedder, Susann, Alternative Measures of Replacement Rates (October 2006). Michigan Retirement Research Center Research Paper No. WP 2006-132, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1095274 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1095274

Michael D. Hurd (Contact Author)

RAND Corporation ( email )

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State University of New York at Stony Brook - College of Arts and Science - Department of Economics ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Susann Rohwedder

RAND Corporation ( email )

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Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
United States

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