Demographic ageing has sparked the European Commission to recommend countries to introduce pension reforms. In our article ‘Financial sustainability above all else?’, we analyse the recommendations given in the framework of EU socioeconomic governance between 2011 to 2023. How well do these recommendations match the objectives set by the Social Protection Committee in the Open Method of Coordination (OMC)?
The financing of Finland's statutory pensions is unique because part of the pension contribution is funded. In the national accounts, the surplus of Finland's pension institutions is considered in the financial balance of public entities. The surplus of pension institutions reduces the deficit of public entities. The European Commission recently changed its long-term debt calculations, and the surplus of pension institutions is no longer assumed to reduce public indebtedness. What is this all about?
In Finland, people over 65 on low incomes struggle to pay for unexpected expenses, our new research shows. Paying for usual expenses is easier. Compared with other European countries, older people in Finland are much less likely to experience income problems.
Despite Finland’s reputation for equality, the gender pension gap is significant in the country. An online calculator has been launched to tackle the gap by providing information on how family leave affects pension accrual. While the tool provides useful information, its impact remains limited. Bridging the gender pension gap will require tackling the wider gender pay gap.
In Europe, retirement ages keep rising. Yet, in many European countries, some people can retire earlier than others. They are granted a special pension based on their hard jobs. Is this type of benefit needed?
The partial old-age pension has proved to be a popular pension benefit in Finland. Its popularity grew particular in 2022 and seems to continue. In relation to the population, there are more people on a partial old-age pension in Finland than in Sweden or Norway.
There’s no need to apply for an A1 certificate separately for each business trip abroad. Instead, it’s possible to apply for an A1 certificate that is valid for two years. One certificate is thus enough to secure the social security of an employee who often goes abroad on business trips.
European pensioners get the main part of their income from pensions, but also from work, capital, and other social benefits than pensions. Our recent study shows that the perceived income adequacy depends not only on the amount but also on the source of income.
Citizens, journalists and experts enjoy making comparisons which put their national pension systems into a wider context. It is common to compare retirement ages between countries. Although such an exercise can be informative, a simple comparison can result in misunderstandings. Here are three tips to avoid common mistakes.
People retire at a considerably later age in Finland and Denmark than before. In the last decade, these two countries have caught up with the other Nordic countries in this respect. Also in Estonia, people retire at a significantly higher age. In Norway, on the other hand, the effective retirement age has dropped steeply. What pension policy solutions underly the changes?
