Interest rates have been trending downward since at least 1980s in developed economies, including the euro area. In fact, real rates (the real rate is the interest rate adjusted for inflation) are now at historically low levels. →
Pension premium rates and pension benefits are independent of age or family situation in the second pillar of the Dutch pension system. In a life cycle model calibrated on Dutch data we investigate the optimal... →
The return on safe assets has been declining over the past 40 years lowering the return on people’s wealth. Should people save more for retirement to compensate for the lower return on wealth?... →
Dutch households (implicitly) have an unusual mix of assets. Particularly their high level of mortgage debts and pension entitlements stand out in an international context. In this paper we examine how Dutch household... →
