Framing Social Security Reform: Behavioral Responses to Changes in the Full Retirement Age

Journal article: We use a US Social Security reform as a quasi-experiment to provide evidence on framing effects in retirement behavior. The reform increased the full retirement age (FRA) from 65 to 66 in two-month increments per year of birth. We find strong evidence that the spike in the benefit claiming hazard at 65 moved in lockstep along with the FRA. Results on self-reported retirement and exit from employment go in the same direction. The responsiveness to the new FRA is stronger for people with higher cognitive skills. We interpret the findings as evidence of reference dependence with loss aversion.

Author(s)

Luc Behaghel, David M. Blau

Journal
  • American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Date of publication
  • 2012
Keywords JEL
D91 H55 J14 J26
Keywords
  • Intertemporal Consumer Choice
  • Life Cycle Models and Saving
  • Social Security and Public Pensions
  • Economics of the Elderly
  • Economics of the Handicapped
  • Non-labor Market Discrimination
  • Retirement
  • Retirement Policies
Pages
  • 41-67
Version
  • 1
Volume
  • 4