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Are old-age pension system reforms moving away from individual retirement accounts in Latin America?
Author(s)Esteban Calvo, Fabio M Bertranou, Evelina Bertranou
Journal titleJournal of Social Policy, vol 39, part 2, April 2010
Pagespp 223-234
Sourcehttp://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJourna... doi:10.1017/S0047279409990663
KeywordsPensions ; Social policy ; South America ; Central America.
AnnotationThis article reviews two rounds of pension reform in ten Latin American countries to determine whether they are moving away from individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Although the idea is provocative, the authors conclude that the notion of 'moving away from IRAs' is insufficient to characterise the new politics of pension reform. As opposed to the politics of enactment of IRAs of the late twentieth century, pension reform in Latin America in recent years has combined significant revival of public components in old-age income maintenance with improvement of IRAs. Clearly, the policy prescriptions that were most influential during the first round of reforms in Latin America have been re-evaluated. The World Bank and other organisations that promoted IRAs have recognised that pension reform should pay more attention to poverty reduction, coverage and equity, and to protect participants from market risks. The experience and challenges faced by countries that introduced IRAs, the changes in policies by international financing institutions, and the recent financial volatility and heavy losses experienced in financial markets may have tempered the enthusiasm of other countries from applying the same type of reforms. Scholars and policy-makers around the globe could benefit from looking closely at these changes in pension policy. (KJ/RH).
Accession NumberCPA-100324203 A
ClassmarkJJ: TM2: 7W: 7U

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