Reply #3: Google Andy Lang actuary - he has spoken out on these topics.

[papau]

My posts at DU give a view from 30,000 feet - but I suspect you need real detail - at least more detail than I drag up from memory.

For the record Chile is a disaster with the economic activity and lower gov deficit much more than offset by the loss of capital in pointless spending for institutions to acquire accounts, and by the safety net being in sheds as participation is near zero for the non- middle/upper classes - plus the gov is now giving out guarantees that it does not fund and can not afford - it would be much better off with our pay as you go Soc Sec system).

Britain is in the process of trying to end the Thatcher safety net cut of 1/3 (60% of retirement income from the gov was the pre Thatcher ratio to 40% now - and Blair is trying to move back to 60% so as to restore the safety net for the lower middle class and poor).

As for Argentina - well - the don't raise tax crowd - plus the privatized account crap has led to folks asking how many cents on a dollar they can get for those great government bonds that had the full faith and credit of the nation behind them.