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Cognitive Ability and the Stock Reallocations of Retirees during the Great Recession

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  • CHRIS BROWNING
  • MICHAEL FINKE

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="joca12065-abs-0001"> Retirees are increasingly responsible for managing their retirement savings. The ability to manage these assets efficiently can have an important impact on retirement well-being. Lower levels of cognitive ability in old age can reduce an investor's ability to control emotional responses to a loss. Greater sensitivity to loss may increase preferences for safety following a market decline, resulting in allocations away from stocks that are associated with long-term underperformance. We investigate whether cognitive ability is related to stock reallocations among retirees during the Great Recession. Using the Health and Retirement Study, we find that cognitive ability is negatively related to allocations away from stock. Compared to those with the lowest levels of cognitive ability, respondents with higher cognitive ability are 40% less likely to reduce their stock allocation by 50% or more. These results suggest that the quality of investment decisions in old age may be compromised by cognitive decline.

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  • Chris Browning & Michael Finke, 2015. "Cognitive Ability and the Stock Reallocations of Retirees during the Great Recession," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(2), pages 356-375, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:49:y:2015:i:2:p:356-375
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    3. Martin-Bassols, Nicolau, 2024. "Risky and non-risky financial investments and cognition," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Cheuk Hee Cheung & Tansel Yilmazer, 2019. "Wealth Management While Dealing with Memory Loss," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 470-485, September.
    5. Hyesun Hwang & Hyung In Park, 2023. "The relationships of financial literacy with both financial behavior and financial well‐being: Meta‐analyses based on the selective literature review," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 222-244, January.
    6. Su H. Shin & Dean R. Lillard & Jay Bhattacharya, 2019. "Understanding the Correlation between Alzheimer’s Disease Polygenic Risk, Wealth, and the Composition of Wealth Holdings," NBER Working Papers 25526, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Bucciol, Alessandro & Zarri, Luca, 2017. "Do personality traits influence investors’ portfolios?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 1-12.

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