Curious contracts

GeneralThe process of an aging population, combined with accounting and regulatory developments, has at last revealed some - but surely not all - of the problems of a DB pension fund system. Originally intended as part of the terms of employment, it has now gradually changed into a 'betting game' between employers, retirees and actives without well-defined rules. Instead of a regular saving system, it has unintentionally changed into a game of musical chairs. There is growing awareness of these problems, especially at employer level. The result is that employers shy away from risk taking, although the approach differs fundamentally per country. Actives and retirees are sometimes saddled with unclear financial contracts between one another that entail huge amounts of possible wealth redistribution and risks.This thesis applies techniques from risk management and option theory to reveal the wealth redistribution between the various parties and elucidates the risks these parties assume. In addition, some methodologies are suggested to contain these risks, by hedging and structurally redesigning the risk sharing pension fund concept.