Reprint of : Assessing the Effects of Unconventional Monetary Policy and Low Interest Rates on Pension Fund Risk Incentives

This study quantifies the effects of persistently low interest rates near to the zero lower bound and un- conventional monetary policy on pension fund risk incentives in the United States. Using two structural vector autoregressive (VAR) models and a counterfactual scenario analysis, the results show that mone- tary policy shocks, as identified by changes in Treasury yields following changes in the central bank’s tar- get interest rates, lead to a substantial increase in pension funds’ allocation to equity assets. Notably, the shift from bonds to equity securities is greater during the period where the US Federal Reserve launched unconventional monetary policy measures. Additional findings show a positive correlation between pen- sion fund risk-taking, low interest rates and the decline in Treasury yields across both well-funded and underfunded public pension plans, which is thus consistent with a structural risk-shifting incentive