Pension system finances and personal finances

Abstract

In the paper the author attempts to outline financial problems concerning the pension system in Poland and their relation to public finances. The main current problem is the capital aspect of the system, which affects the growth of budget deficit and public debt. The analysis is accompanied by the research hypothesis that the state should play the most significant role in securing pensions, and it should be supplemented by voluntary forms of collecting funds for this purpose. The basic method of research is the analysis of literature and statistics related to financing pension benefits, as well as the author’s own research. Having assessed the pension system in Poland, the author concludes that the capital aspect contributes to the budget deficit and public debt as related to the GDP ratio. The amendments to the pension system proposed by the Polish government are not going in the desired direction. The financial and economic crisis revealed weaknesses of capital pensions, so other solutions have to be considered. The author has attempted to identify them.

Keywords

• adequacy, stability and security of the pension system, open pension funds, pension system, Social Security Institution, voluntary forms of pension schemes