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Optimal onset and exhaustion of retirement savings in a life-cycle model

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  • LACHANCE, MARIE-EVE

Abstract

This paper facilitates the exploration of optimal individual retirement savings strategies within a life-cycle framework by providing a convenient tool to implement a model suggested by Yaari (1965) with an uncertain lifetime and borrowing constraints. The solution is given both for the general case and for cases leading to closed-form equations such as power utility and Gompertz mortality. Illustrations for a wide range of parameters indicate that starting to save for retirement in the first phase of one's career is rarely optimal. Of course, this is not to say that young workers should not save for other motives – a limitation of this model is that risks besides mortality are not considered. The conclusion should also be interpreted cautiously as it is difficult to represent every possible individual circumstance and saving incentive in a single model. The intuition behind the result is that an efficient strategy allocates the burden of financing retirement first to periods with higher income (i.e. lower opportunity costs), creating the potential for an initial period without savings when income grows.

Suggested Citation

  • Lachance, Marie-Eve, 2012. "Optimal onset and exhaustion of retirement savings in a life-cycle model," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 21-52, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:jpenef:v:11:y:2012:i:01:p:21-52_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jason S. Scott & John B. Shoven & Sita N. Slavov & John G. Watson, 2022. "Is automatic enrollment consistent with a life cycle model?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(1), pages 9-20, January.
    2. Huang, H. & Milevsky, M.A. & Salisbury, T.S., 2017. "Retirement spending and biological age," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 58-76.
    3. Huang, Huaxiong & Milevsky, Moshe A., 2016. "Longevity risk and retirement income tax efficiency: A location spending rate puzzle," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 50-62.
    4. Huang, Huaxiong & Milevsky, Moshe A. & Salisbury, Thomas S., 2012. "Optimal retirement consumption with a stochastic force of mortality," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 282-291.
    5. Fischer, Marcel & Jensen, Bjarne Astrup & Koch, Marlene, 2023. "Optimal retirement savings over the life cycle: A deterministic analysis in closed form," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 48-58.

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