The decumulation period of a personal pension with risk sharing: investment approach versus consumption approach

Abstract This paper models the decumulation period of a Personal Pension with Risk sharing (PPR). We derive several relationships between the contract parameters. Individuals can adopt two approaches to the decumulation period of a PPR: the investment approach and the consumption approach. In the investment approach, individuals specify how to invest wealth and how much wealth to withdraw. Retirement consumption follows endogenously. In the consumption approach, in contrast, individuals specify retirement consumption exogenously. Investment and withdrawal policies follow endogenously. We explore these two approaches in detail. Consistent with habit formation, we allow for excess smoothness and excess sensitivity in retirement consumption.