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Socioeconomic, psychological and demographic determinants of Australian baby boomers' financial planning for retirement
Author(s) -
Noone Jack,
O'Loughlin Kate,
Kendig Hal
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00600.x
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , retirement planning , financial plan , baby boomers , perspective (graphical) , demographic economics , business , finance , economics , demography , sociology , population , artificial intelligence , computer science
Aim: Research from around the Western World has shown that psychological, socioeconomic and demographic factors can influence levels of financial planning. This study aims to determine how these factors interrelate to predict planning outcomes. Method: Data from the Ageing Baby Boomers in Australia Study were used to examine the effects of multiple factors on financial planning for 709 employed Australians nearing retirement. Results: The results showed that higher income, future time perspective (FTP) and financial knowledge independently predicted levels of retirement planning. The effects of FTP and financial knowledge on financial planning were consistent across levels of socioeconomic status. Conclusions: While similar issues in financial planning appeared across socioeconomic status, a ‘one size fits all’ approach to retirement policy may not be effective. Instead, policy should be targeted towards the diverse needs of different groups. Raising public awareness of FTP and financial knowledge may provide a useful starting point.