Solving the annuity puzzle: The role of mortality salience in retirement savings decumulation decisions

We propose mortality salience – increased accessibility of death-related thoughts – as one previously unexplored explanation for the annuity puzzle, the low rate at which retirees buy annuities even though economists recommend annuities as an optimal decision. Across four studies we show that mortality salience decreases how likely individuals are to put savings into an annuity. By forcing consumers to consider their own death, the annuity decision makes mortality salient, motivating them to avoid the annuity option as a proximal defense against the death-related thoughts triggered by considering an annuity. Moreover, we demonstrate the robustness of the mortality salience effect through measurement and manipulation of the underlying process, and we estimate an overall mean effect size using meta-analysis. With this research, psychological theory can inform economic theory by helping to explain the annuity puzzle phenomenon that has challenged economists for decades. This research also has important implications for consumer welfare by offering insights into annuity choice and helping to inform the increasingly complex financial decisions facing individuals as they navigate the retirement savings decumulation process.