Summary

This book highlights the effects a looming OECD-wide "pension crisis," with the prospect of large fiscal burdens, will have on policy reform. Any significant reform is politically complicated by the prospect of lower payments and fears of pensioner poverty--and even reformed systems may not be able to deliver what they promise to their constituents. Furthermore, there are many differences among countries about how best to achieve pension policy goals. Overall, pension systems in most countries are becoming very complex, making it difficult to know how much an individual pension will be worth in the future, and where best to implement reforms. Pension Policy in OECD Countries looks at mandatory pension programs in the public and private sectors of the 30 member countries of the OECD, as well as possible safety nets for the elderly. It also provides information on the current tax rates to provide a rounded picture of the situation.