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A life-cycle approach to the intertemporal elasticity of substitution

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  • Biederman, Daniel K.
  • Goenner, Cullen F.

Abstract

We construct a three-period model spanning 30 years of an optimizing consumer's life. Exploiting the first-order conditions, we derive expressions for the intertemporal elasticity of substitution (IES) that allow for different utility specifications; the case of isoelastic utility is a special case. We fit US household data on income, consumption, and net worth to the IES expressions to obtain point estimates of the IES. We also construct 95 percent confidence intervals, based on 10,000 simulated observations. Our evidence suggests that the value of the IES is likely between 0.2 and 0.8.

Suggested Citation

  • Biederman, Daniel K. & Goenner, Cullen F., 2008. "A life-cycle approach to the intertemporal elasticity of substitution," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 481-498, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jmacro:v:30:y:2008:i:1:p:481-498
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    Cited by:

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    2. Juan Carlos Córdoba & Marla Ripoll, 2019. "The Elasticity of Intergenerational Substitution, Parental Altruism, and Fertility Choice," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 86(5), pages 1935-1972.
    3. Groneck, Max, 2010. "A golden rule of public finance or a fixed deficit regime?: Growth and welfare effects of budget rules," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 523-534, March.
    4. Julien Hugonnier & Florian Pelgrin, 2013. "Health and (Other) Asset Holdings," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 80(2), pages 663-710.
    5. Antonio Cutanda & José M. Labeaga & Juan A. Sanchis-Llopis, 2020. "Aggregation biases in empirical Euler consumption equations: evidence from Spanish data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 957-977, March.
    6. Julien Hugonnier & Florian Pelgrin & Pascal St-Amour, 2010. "A structural analysis of the health expenditures and portfolio choices of retired agents," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 10-29, Swiss Finance Institute.
    7. Litina, Anastasia & Palivos, Theodore, 2010. "The Behavior Of The Saving Rate In The Neoclassical Optimal Growth Model," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(4), pages 482-500, September.
    8. Max Groneck, 2011. "The golden rule of public finance and the composition of government expenditures: a growth and welfare analysis," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 273-294, December.
    9. Steven Lugauer & Nelson Mark & Horag Choi, 2013. "The Size of the Precautionary Component of Household Saving: China and the U.S," 2013 Meeting Papers 1046, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    10. Groneck, Max, 2008. "A Golden Rule of Public Finance or a Fixed Deficit Regime? Growth and Welfare Effects of Budget Rules," FiFo Discussion Papers - Finanzwissenschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 08-7, University of Cologne, FiFo Institute for Public Economics.

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