Trygg, sviken eller osäker: Tankar och förberedelser inför pensioneringen

This dissertation aims to investigate and analyze people's preparation for retirement. The study has been made through semi-structured interviews with 78 people born between the years 1931-1981 regarding their preparations for retirement.

The analysis is based on the model Reflexive Planning for Later Life, coping, bounded rationality, behavioural finance and the concept of governmentality, and has been performed by categorising the content of the transcribed interviews. In doing this, three recurrent themes have emerged as key elements in a persons´ preparation for retirement: Life context, Adjustment and Choice. Sweden’s new pension system is still mainly a pay as you go-system, but among other changes, an enhanced lifetime earnings principle and an element of funding have made the individual responsible for how a part of their pension develops. The results suggest that people’s perceived knowledge about the rules of "their" pension schemes affects their view of their retirement preparations. The older respondents see themselves, even if they describe a lack of knowledge, as secure and confident with "their" pension system. Those in the middle group, often feel betrayed by the reform. The younger respondents are often confused and feel uncertain about the long-term durability of the system, but are to some degree more positive towards individual choice. People make retirement preparations in relation to their lives.

The intentions behind the reform, to delay peoples´ retirement and make individuals responsible for their future pensions, have not been realised. Few individuals want to prolong their working lives based on their life situation. The intentions behind the new pension system are to put the risk and responsibility onto the individual. However, many interviewees express concern over the individualized responsibility. The information about the reform and the new pension system has been extensive, but people don’t easily adapt to the change. Few read the Orange envelope, few people make fund choices. Many people feel they have a lack of knowledge about the system, an ignorance that seems to strengthen their lack of trust in the system.