Defined Contribution Pension Plans: Sticky or Discerning Money?

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Finance
Year: 2015
Volume: 70
Issue: 2
Pages: 805-838

Authors (3)

CLEMENS SIALM (University of Texas-Austin) LAURA T. STARKS (not in RePEc) HANJIANG ZHANG (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

type="main"> <title type="main">ABSTRACT</title> <p>Participants in defined contribution (DC) retirement plans rarely adjust their portfolio allocations, suggesting that their investment choices and consequent money flows are sticky and not discerning. However, participants’ inertia could be offset by DC plan sponsors, who adjust the plan's investment options. We examine these countervailing influences on flows into U.S. mutual funds. We find that flows into funds from DC assets are more volatile and exhibit more performance sensitivity than non-DC flows, primarily due to adjustments to the investment options by the plan sponsors. Thus, DC retirement money is less sticky and more discerning than non-DC money.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:jfinan:v:70:y:2015:i:2:p:805-838
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29