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Risk-sensitive preferences and age-dependent risk aversion

Author

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  • Phitawat Poonpolkul

Abstract

People in different age groups have shown to differ in their degrees of risk aversion. This study investigates the macroeconomic implications of population aging when households are assumed to be increasingly risk-averse in future utility when they age. The model incorporates risk-sensitive preferences used in Hansen & Sargent (1995), which is the only recursive preferences that can separate risk aversion and intertemporal elasticity of substitution while being monotonic, into a 16-generation discrete-time OLG model with undiversifiable income risk. Compared to a time-additive counterpart, risk-sensitive preferences capture precautionary saving motive that exacerbates adverse responses of aggregate macroeconomic variables under a population aging scenario through demographic re-weighting and life-cycle redistribution channels. Varying risk aversion also allows households to internalize future uncertainties when evaluating their welfare impacts of demographic change, resulting in non-monotonic welfare dynamics with higher welfare loss under a high-risk environment and vice versa. Risk-sensitive preferences with age-dependent risk aversion can play an important role in optimal policy settings by introducing uncertainties into the welfare impact analysis, while taking into account more realistic risk-taking behavior of different age cohorts.

Suggested Citation

  • Phitawat Poonpolkul, 2019. "Risk-sensitive preferences and age-dependent risk aversion," CAMA Working Papers 2019-86, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:een:camaaa:2019-86
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    File URL: https://cama.crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/cama_crawford_anu_edu_au/2019-12/86_2019_poonpolkul.pdf
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Risk-sensitive preferences and age-dependent risk aversion
      by Christian Zimmermann in NEP-DGE blog on 2019-12-12 16:50:20

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    Cited by:

    1. Tang, Tao & Luo, Ronghua & Gu, Jing, 2023. "Lifetime asset allocation with long run risk and time various risk aversion," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 230-251.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Demographic change; risk-sensitive preferences; overlapping-generation model; precautionary savings; risk aversion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D52 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Incomplete Markets
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General

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