Tag: lump sum option
Retirement for workers in state, county and municipal government fits a certain picture: a regular monthly pension payment awaits them. But there are important exceptions, which a recent study has filled in. A small minority of public sector workers get some or all of their retirement benefits in the form of a one-time cash payment…
Abstract This paper provides new evidence on how public policies affect individuals’ disposition of pre-retirement lump-sum distributions (LSDs) from pensions. The policies, enacted in the 1980s and 1990s, include changes in tax rates, penalties, withholding rules, and default options. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we find that each set of policies influenc…