Understanding the Saving Behaviour of Australian Households: Private Retirement Provision and the Policy fo Forced Saving (ARC Discovery project)

The outcomes from the research on Australian retirement saving behaviour will generate a range of national benefits. First, the collaboration of researchers across institutions, and internationally, will enhance and promote Australian research skills. Second, Australian research will be placed at the forefront of an important, international field. Third, the research will make fundamental contributions to the evidence base for the design of public policies to ensure Australians have access to adequate resources in retirement. This is an urgent public policy concern due to the rapid ageing of the Australian population: the fraction aged over 65 years is forecast to double from 10% to 20% over the next 40 years. Funding from this project runs from 2007 to 2009.