discovering playing learning planning enjoying looking back

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1 annual report 2009

2 discovering playing learning planning enjoying looking back

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7 contents Preface 11 Letter from the Board of Directors 14 Developing Knowledge 20 Sharing Knowledge 28 Investing in Human Capital 34 Income and Expenses Appendices 43 Colophon 76

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9 preface On behalf of Netspar s Advisory Board, I hereby present the Annual Report The Advisory Board is very proud with Netspar s efforts to bring science and practice together. Last year was in many aspects a challenging year for Netspar. First, the Netspar network, with all its participating companies, ministries and scientists, substantially contributed with papers, events and advice to the discussions on key issues as the retirement age, pensions for self-employed and real or nominal values. Second, Netspar strove for new budget to innovate its means of developing and sharing knowledge, and investing in human capital. The Advisory Board supported the directors in that process. Finally, from a managerial point of view, the composition of Netspar s Board changed substantially. Lans Bovenberg, founder and Scientific Director of Netspar, left the Board, together with Lex Meijdam and Arthur van Soest. Arthur and Lans are now advisors to Netspar. The Advisory Board is very grateful for the great contributions by Lans, Lex and Arthur made to the success of Netspar. Frank van der Duyn Schouten is Chairman of the Board of Directors since April 2009, and Theo Nijman is Scientific Director. Frans de Roon is Director Partner Contacts. Furthermore, Dominique de Vet is in charge of the staff and supports the Board since July The working relations between the Board of Directors and the Advisory Board are very good. In this Annual Report you can find the development of Netspar throughout 2009 (and the years before) structured in Developing Knowledge, Sharing Knowledge and Investing in Human Capital, and symbolized by beautiful photographs. I hope you find reading of this report inspiring. Jean Frijns Temporary Chair of the Netspar Advisory Board Just before going to press, Netspar was informed that Jan Willem Oosterwijk, Chair of the Netspar Advisory Board, had passed away. With his vision, diplomacy and thoroughness, he was very important to Netspar developing into the knowledge network it is now. We will remember his contribution gratefully. preface 11

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12 letter from the board of directors While 2008 was the year in which the credit crisis took off, in 2009 its consequences became visible to full extent. This provided Netspar with an excellent opportunity to prove its relevance in stimulating the debate about the direction the pension industry should take. Netspar-related researchers participated in this debate in many different ways and were invited to participate in advisory committees for the Dutch government. Netspar themes turned out to hit the heart of the problems revealed by the crisis, while the participation of Netspar participants in debates, conferences, workshops, and other meetings intensified in

13 Netspar now provides a successful, well-tested vehicle for cooperation between academics, industry specialists, and board members of pension funds and pension providers, insurance companies, banks, and policymakers. The pension industry became more actively involved in identifying and prioritizing the Netspar research themes. While the Netspar concept is still unique in the world, international interest for this concept is growing. The year 2009 revealed that Netspar is highly relevant in coordinating the pension research agenda and in the transfer of existing and new knowledge to the industry in a direct and comprehensible way. This annual report provides evidence of Netspar s achievements and underscores its ambition to support the sustainability of the Dutch pension system for the decades to come. Network Development and Acquisition An absolute prerequisite for Netspar s success is having a diverse, strong, high-quality network of committed organizations and individuals working in professional financial services, policy circles, and academic research. It is, after all, in the interaction between theory and practice that Netspar finds the tools needed to innovate pension systems and retirement insurance products. In November 2009 Netspar discussed membership with several new potential entrants. This led to Zwitserleven (member of the Swiss Life Network) joining at the start of Further expansion of the network is expected during the course of this year. Netspar uses a mix of services and communication media to maintain its network, ranging from individual account management to digital newsletters for various groups. Member engagement in Netspar is further bolstered both by open activities and by activities with restricted access. In autumn 2009 the Advisory Board installed a committee to carry out a partner evaluation of Netspar in Governance In 2009 the structure of the Board of Netspar was simplified and adapted to its current stage of development. Theo Nijman is Scientific Director and Frans de Roon is Director of Partner Contacts. Dominique de Vet supports the Board of Netspar as Managing Director. I myself became Chairman of the Board. This past year Jean Frijns acted as Chairman of the Advisory Board, due to long-lasting illness of Jan Willem Oosterwijk. Looking ahead The financial crisis has highlighted the far-reaching importance of adequate management of pensions and retirement provisions. During the next several years many challenges are ahead. These relate to the risk management of pension funds, new types of decumulation of pension provisions, and the balance between the three pillars of the Dutch pension system. Other important issues are the extent to which individual participants in pension plans can be trained to make educated choices about their retirement plan options, what the role of government should be when this education turns out to have limited impact, and, last but not least, the impact of innovations on the labor market for elderly workers. Taking its central role as a network coping with these issues, Netspar spent ample attention on an application for the Innovation Program Retirement Management. Frank van der Duyn Schouten Chairman of the Board of Directors letter from the board of directors 15

14 the dutch three-pillar system as an example for the international community Various countries around the world are setting up and re-designing their pension systems. The Dutch three-pillar system is often recognized as a leading example for this. To avoid restrictive international legislation that could harm the Dutch pension system, plus to facilitate the development of international pension systems, the Dutch pension system must be well understood and appreciated internationally. Netspar has contributed to this ambition through its educational activities and at a number of meetings (in Rome, Vienna, Boston, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro) that were organized by the OECD and partner organizations. The Dutch pension system provides an excellent mix between funded and unfunded components, thereby balancing the demographic and political risks that are tied to pay-asyou-go systems offered by governments with huge budgetary problems and risks in capital markets. The first pillar provides adequate poverty protection for all. The second pillar, related to labor, enables employees to retain their income level and social status during retirement. The third pillar provides additional pension income for individual needs. The typical Dutch pension arrangement avoids all of the disadvantages of individual defined-contribution pensions, such as the high levels of transaction costs, the lack of pension contributions, and the behavioral biases in fund allocation or in conversion of pension wealth to pension income. The Dutch system has successfully explored new ways of sharing risks between generations (e.g. conditional indexation) and enables opportunities for risk sharing that are not available in financial markets. A number of Netspar publications explore the welfare effects of elements of the Dutch pension contract in both qualitative and quantitative terms, and they address opportunities for further improvement. 16

15 netspar mission Netspar Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging and Retirement was established in It is a network of Dutch and international pension researchers, government and regulatory agencies, pension funds and pension providers, insurance companies, and asset&liability management firms. Netspar endeavors to bring the pension debate to a high level of sophistication and to create high-quality solutions for present and future challenges with respect to an aging society. Furthermore, Netspar aims to position the Netherlands as a center of knowledge on pensions and social security both inside and outside Europe, both in the academic and financial worlds as well as in policy circles. In this way, Netspar aims to safeguard sustainable pension and insurance systems that share risks equitably and efficiently. The objective is to set an example how public and private parties in the service industry can work together with researchers in the social sciences in an efficient and mutually beneficial way to stimulate social innovation. In addition, Netspar provides the pensions and social security industry with academic and intellectual backing in finding sustainable solutions for their most challenging problems. letter from the board of directors 17

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18 developing knowledge Scientific research is an important source of innovation. Netspar has therefore fostered academic research into the issues of aging and retirement ever since it was founded. More than 120 researchers at universities and academic institutions in the Netherlands and abroad are now fellow of Netspar s research network. They write research papers and participate in Netspar s events and education programs. The European Science Foundation invited Netspar in 2008 to draft the European research agenda on pensions, aging, and health. This project, in cooperation with other European research institutes, was concluded with a conference in The Hague in In 2010 the research agenda will be presented formally to the European Science Foundation and the European Commission. Themes One of the primary instruments that Netspar uses to shape research into aging and retirement is to specify particular themes for study and then allocate substantial multi-year funding to selected research groups. Every research project integrates knowledge development, knowledge sharing, and education in its efforts. The projects target industry priorities, while constantly furnishing new ideas and stimulating public debate, thereby serving as a valuable innovation engine. The goal of the theme projects is to develop a broad base of knowledge to stimulate pension system innovation and to create focus and critical mass in the area of inter-university pension research. In 2009, seven new theme projects were initiated, including one of non- Dutch origin. This was on Financial Literacy, applied for by Annamaria Lusardi (USA). Three themes successfully ended their project. The theme coordinators for the project Income, health and work across the life cycle, Maarten Lindeboom and Eddy van Doorslaer, applied for and obtained sequential theme funding. Peter Schotman and Antoon Pelsser, former coordinators of, respectively, Private retirement provision and Valuation and risk management for insurance companies and pension funds now collaborate in the new theme, Value and risk on the balance sheet of pension funds and insurance companies, which started in October

19 thematic research in 2009 Themes started in 2009 Supporting consumer pension decision-making online Theme coordinator: Benedict Dellaert (EUR) The economics and psychology of life cycle decision-making Theme coordinators: Peter Kooreman and Jan Potters (both UvT) The influence of market imperfections on recovery strategies for pension funds Theme coordinator: Laura Spierdijk (RUG) Financial literacy: Evidence and implications for retirement planning, saving behavior, and financial education programs Theme coordinator: Annamaria Lusardi (Dartmouth College) Value and risk on the balance sheet of pension funds and insurance companies Theme coordinator: Peter Schotman (UM) Reconciling short-term risks and long-term goals for retirement provisions Theme coordinator: Michel Vellekoop (UvA) Health and income, work and care across the life cycle II Theme coordinators: Maarten Lindeboom (VU A) and Eddy van Doorslaer (EUR) Themes continuing in 2009 Pensions, savings and retirement decisions Theme coordinators: Rob Alessie (RUG) and Arthur van Soest (UvT) The macroeconomics of pension reform Theme coordinator: Casper van Ewijk (UvA) Living longer in good health: prospects, strategies, consequences Theme coordinator: Johan Mackenbach (EUR) Themes completed in 2009 Income, health and work across the life cycle Theme coordinators: Maarten Lindeboom (VU A) and Eddy van Doorslaer (EUR) Private retirement provision Theme coordinator: Peter Schotman (UM) Valuation and risk management for insurance companies and pension funds Theme coordinator: Antoon Pelsser (UvA) developing knowledge 21

20 Short-term Projects In addition to the multi-year theme-based projects mentioned above, Netspar funds a number of smaller short-term projects. The applications for this kind of funding have strongly increased in number and quality over the years. The Netspar Research Coordinators (see appendix D) play a crucial role in the evaluation of the applications. These research projects are capped off with a Netspar Discussion Paper, which is then published in a scholarly journal. The results are typically also presented at one of the Netspar workshops. This is yet another means by which Netspar solidifies the knowledge base on which pension innovation rests. In 2009 twelve new research grants were granted and 4 of earlier projects were completed. Events In 2009 Netspar organized two Pension Workshops: in Amsterdam (in January) and in Stockholm (in June). The last one had a European setting and was organized with SIFR, the Swedish Institute for Financial Research. These workshops attracted large numbers of researchers from all over the globe. Netspar research fellows also participated in several conferences organized by the OECD and the World Bank on the future of funded pension systems, where the Dutch three-pillar model was presented as a leading example. Reeling from the financial crisis and confronted by many individuals facing inadequate pension coverage, policymakers in many countries are now looking to the Dutch pension system for inspiration. The Netspar Pension Day in November encouraged junior researchers to present and discuss their work at an early stage and receive optimal feedback. Weekly seminars, which took place at Tilburg University, were open to all people involved in Netspar research. During each seminar a Netspar researcher presented the state of affairs concerning his or her project or addressed a current research topic. 22

21 Discussion Paper Series and Scientific Publications Netspar researchers wrote 55 discussion papers last year. All discussion papers are presented in Netspar s Discussion Paper Series, which appear both on the Netspar website and on SSRN. Obviously even more important than the number of publications is their scientific quality. The Scientific Council is responsible for assessing this aspect. In academic research the quality of the contributions is typically assessed by the impact factor of the journal that publishes a contribution to the literature. A satisfying number of the publications in the review period appeared in the highest ranked academic journals, including American Economic Review, Econometrica and the Review of Financial Studies. Netspar also supported the acquisition of specific data including register data on pension entitlements and access facilities. NWO decided to sponsor the fourth wave of SHARE with a subsidy of 245,000. Netspar cooperated with Statistics Netherlands on remote access to existing register data. Several researchers at the Universities of Rotterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht and VU University Amsterdam already used these facilities on a remote basis. For example, researchers have been looking into the relationship between household finances and mortality risk, while others are combining register data to analyze the relationship between health care utilization and socio-economic status. Data from several sources have been used to study disability, mortality, and life expectancy among the elderly. The Relevance of Data In 2009 Netspar took on formal responsibility for the Dutch Country Leadership of SHARE, a prestigious European project involving longitudinal collection of microdata about European individuals aged 50 and over. This project provides a rich source of information for examination of the potential impact of policy measures taken in various European countries regarding the elderly. SHARE is a multi-disciplinary and cross-national panel database on health, socio-economic status and social and family networks of more than 30,000 individuals aged 50 or over. Since 2004, fourteen European countries have contributed data to the project. Netspar researcher Arthur van Soest was the Dutch country team leader until October 2008, when he was succeeded by the present chairman of Netspar s Board, Frank van der Duyn Schouten. developing knowledge 23

22 labor market for older workers, welfare of the elderly Many countries are increasing the effective retirement age and stimulating older workers to work longer. Together with the Social and Economic Council (SER) and the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), Netspar organized in April 2009 a high-profile international conference on the labor market for older workers. The key conclusion was that incentives to work longer have improved considerably in recent years. The most important remaining challenge, however, is to stimulate older workers to work in the right job, with the right skills and the highest possible productivity, and to improve the job matching of unemployed older workers. Indeed, the labor market for older workers in the Netherlands does not yet function well. Research themes on retirement, health, and labor-force participation resulted in highly appreciated conferences. One of the findings was that unanticipated increases in the statutory retirement age may be detrimental to health. Events early in life explain the high correlation between health and income over the life cycle. Part-time retirement appears to be a promising way to raise labor-force participation rates of older workers. Netspar has participated actively in the SHARE project, which documents health, work, income, financial assets, and social networks of the elderly in 16 European countries. SHARE has become a major pillar of the European Research Area and was selected in 2008 as one of the projects to be implemented in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). Netspar researchers have helped to develop a methodology for comparison of self-reports across countries and have used this to explain international differences in self-reported work disability. Some of this research has been published in top-ranked academic journals. Using administrative data and a micro-simulation model, researchers have estimated that future retirees will be considerably wealthier than the current elderly population and that the income level of retirees will rise faster than that of other age groups. 24

23 nwo funding to netspar researchers Additional funding for Netspar researchers is a clear indication of their scientific quality. Frederic Vermeulen, Joost Driessen, Roger Laeven, and Henning Tiemeier, all Netspar Research Fellows, have been recognized by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) as high-potential academics and have been granted prestigious Vidi awards, enabling them to build new research groups on issues such as longevity risk, life expectancy, liquidity risk, and risk clustering. This is evidence of Netspar s influential role in this research field and its contribution to broadening the basis of pension research in the Netherlands. developing knowledge 25

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26 sharing knowledge Netspar strongly believes that knowledge should not only be acquired and developed, but especially shared. Researchers in the Network are committed to sharing their knowledge not only with academic colleagues, but also with professionals in industry. The same holds true for experts in the field: they share challenging problems arising in practice that motivate and enable academics to define and address the most relevant research questions. For this purpose Netspar has developed a wide range of tools over the years, including taskforces, events, policy and review paper series, and advisory work. 28

27 Events Netspar organized a variety of public and invitational meetings, during which academics and industry experts discussed important and timely topics. Groups of practioners act as sounding boards for researchers to confront the direction and progress of their research with practical experience, and taskforces address timely policy issues in closed sessions. The purpose of these gatherings is to create and share knowledge between academics and the professional staff at industry organizations. The new instrument of topical events acquired a solid position. Early in 2009 Netspar, together with the Ministry of Finance, organized a debate on the use and usefulness of inflation-linked bonds. The debate addressed the issue of index-linked bonds from a public finance point of view, but in particular it also examined the benefits and drawbacks of such bonds for pension funds and for the size of the inflation-risk premium. In June 2009, a public debate was organized in The Hague on the consequences of the financial crisis for the future of the Dutch pension system. During this event, a number of leading Netspar researchers and policymakers presented their views and analysis of the crisis and its effect on pensions. The debate was preceded by a taskforce that met several times in closed sessions, where researchers, policymakers and industry professionals discussed the various solutions and consequences for the pension system. A second taskforce was set up in 2009 regarding pensions for the self-employed, a group of workers that is usually excluded from second-pillar pensions. The taskforce resulted in a series of four NEA papers, written by both academics and professionals, on the developments and possibilities for pension provisions for the selfemployed. After various discussions in closed sessions with the task force, these papers were presented in a public debate in The Hague in October Finally, in the fall of 2009 a third taskforce was initiated to discuss different payout schemes for pensions after retirement. The results of this taskforce will be presented to a broader audience in Non-academic Paper Series Netspar publishes two non-academic paper series, targeted at the pension and insurance industry. In its Panel Papers, academics provide an overview of recent scientific literature, written specifically for industry experts, on a specific topic. In the NEA (Netspar Economic Advice) Papers Series, authors deal with a topical issue by taking and defending a stand, as a means of contributing to the policy debate and oriented to industry experts, managers, and policymakers. In 2009 a number of NEA papers was written, representing the output of various taskforces on the crisis and on the issue of the self-employed. The number of NEA papers increased from six and seven in 2007 and 2008, respectively, to thirteen in 2009 which illustrates the increasing role of Netspar in the pension debate. During the panels of April and October, five papers were presented, reviewing different parts of the academic literature. One of these papers dealt with longevity risk, which was also the topic of one of the theme conferences in December. Given the current interest in this subject, a taskforce will be set up in 2010, which is expected to result in new NEA papers later that year. sharing knowledge 29

28 Expertise Service The most direct form of knowledge-sharing occurs when researchers from the Network provide advice to Netsparrelated industry organizations and to other organizations of interest to the participants in the network. These researchers not only have a great deal of expertise in their particular area of specialization, but they are also able to quickly mobilize specialized knowledge in other areas through their Netspar links. This enables Netspar to generate a broad range of easily accessible academic perspectives in discussing the pension issues of the day. Recent examples of this type of knowledge sharing are the participation of Netspar researchers in the Frijns and Goudswaard Committees installed by the Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, which addressed the future of the Dutch pension system. By participating in these committees, Netspar researchers engaged in the most prominent pension debates in Other examples include the participation of Netspar researchers in a sounding board for a study on the costs of (re-)insured pensions (Verbond van Verzekeraars) and in a UK committee on determining an adequate term structure of interest rating to value risk-free liabilities. 30

29 the future of pensions and retirement Life expectancy in Western European countries is presently increasing at a rate of about one year every decade. While this is excellent news for individuals, all the more so because the number of years in good health is also growing, this development challenges the future of pensions and retirement. The funded ratio of many pension funds recently dropped significantly because of longevity risk. Likewise the increase in life expectancy poses a major concern for insurers. In 2009, Netspar organized national and international conferences devoted to valuation, hedging, and trading of longevity risk that were well-attended. Three Panel Papers on this subject were presented. Annuities provide protection for individuals against the risk of outliving their assets if they live longer than expected. Publications by Netspar researchers in leading academic journals underscore the fact that annuities substantially enhance welfare. They advocate either stimulating or mandating individuals to decumulate a substantial part of their wealth through annuities rather than receiving pension wealth as a lump sum. Also a number of PhD and MSc theses have addressed annuity provision. A series of taskforce meetings has been devoted to the specific options for pension decumulation in the Netherlands. These options point towards innovative annuity contracts that offer inflation protection and greater flexibility and that incorporate illiquid wealth components such as the private home. A relatively new consumer group, especially growing since the financial crisis, are the selfemployed. Flexible pension possibilities and transparent pension contracts are even more important to this group than to employees. These hot topics were discussed in special events, with a large number of attendants. This also resulted in three NEA Papers. sharing knowledge 31

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32 investing in human capital Innovation is predicated on the availability of highly qualified young people with potential to work in industry, as well as on a healthy interaction between learning and practice through continuing education. Employees in the pension and insurance industry as well as policymakers should have a broad understanding of the challenges, both present and future, both national and international, that the business community faces. A continuous inflow of well-educated young people is crucial for maintaining a high level of performance by this very relevant element of Dutch industry. Therefore education, both at Master s level and for executives, is an important element in Netspar s portfolio of activities. 34

33 Graduate Education Program The one-year MSc program Economics and Finance of Aging (EFA) is taught by Netspar research fellows from various Dutch partner universities. From an organizational point of view the EFA MSc degree program is incorporated in the Tilburg School of Economics and Management and as such subject to its high quality control procedures. The program is accredited by NVAO. In 2009 Netspar wrote a self-evaluation report for the EFA master with a view to the renewal of the accreditation as of In its content and focus the program is unique in Europe and rest of the world. Despite the modest effort that has been put in advertising this program so far, twenty students have enrolled for the academic year, which is quite satisfactory. Half of the students are non-dutch, indicating a substantial international interest in the Dutch pension industry. An interesting development was that for this academic year, for the first time, students enrolled who had already obtained a more generally oriented master s degree from another university. After successful completion of the EFA program, these students seem to be very well positioned to start a career in the pension and insurance industry. As from 2010, Netspar will advertise its EFA program more explicitly to enroll students with a more general background, who want to combine a more generic master program in economics, business, public administration, or related disciplines with the thematic EFA program as a second master. EFA students are offered the opportunity to write their thesis in combination with an internship with one of the partners. These master theses are, on the one hand, a very efficient and direct tool of valorization of academic knowledge. On the other hand, industry organizations participating in Netspar meet through these internships young talent as potential new employees. The Netspar office offers the possibility to combine the thesis with an internship also to students from related programs at other academic institutions within Netspar. During the Junior Pension Day in June, students involved in these internships meet with each other and with their academic and company supervisors to present their work plans and first results, and to exchange their experience. Executive Education Netspar provides executive education to employees of member organizations through the Netspar-UM SBE Academy. This type of education for professionals and managers is an ideal vehicle to transfer new knowledge to the industry. Also it provides a natural environment for experts from various corners of the industry to meet and interact. Every research theme awarded with a Netspar grant is expected to present its findings in the program of the Academy. In 2009 the Academy organized three two-day courses, which were entitled Solvency II and Internal Models, Responsible Investing, and Pension Fund Governance. To make the program of the Academy even more attractive to organizations within the network, Netspar alleviated the restriction that only two employees per organization can attend free of charge. investing in human capital 35