Pensions and intemporal choice: evidence from the U.S. military
Abstract
We study a choice made by over 20,000 U.S. military personnel annually between the High-3 and Redux retirement plans. Compared
to High-3, Redux offers a $30,000 current lump sum payment in exchange for lower future annuity payments. Despite break-even
discount rates between 10% and 25%, about 40% of individuals chose Redux. The likelihood of choosing Redux is decreasing with
the break-even discount rate and is related to individual demographics. The implied personal discount rates from this choice are
around 9.2%, much lower than found previously. Offering this choice has already saved the government over $2 billion in future
retirement payments.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.NPS Report Number
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