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Optimal life-cycle asset allocation: understanding the empirical evidence

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  • Gomes, Francisco
  • Michaelides, Alexander

Abstract

We show that a life-cycle model with realistically calibrated uninsurable labor income risk and moderate risk aversion can simultaneously match stock market participation rates and asset allocation decisions conditional on participation. The key ingredients of the model are Epstein-Zin preferences, a fixed stock market entry cost, and moderate heterogeneity in risk aversion. Households with low risk aversion smooth earnings shocks with a small buffer stock of assets and consequently most of them (optimally) never invest in equities. Therefore, the marginal stockholders are (endogenously) more risk-averse and as a result they do not invest their portfolios fully in stocks.

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  • Gomes, Francisco & Michaelides, Alexander, 2003. "Optimal life-cycle asset allocation: understanding the empirical evidence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 24900, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:24900
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    life-cycle models; portfolio choice; preference heterogeneity; liquidity constraints; stock market participation; uninsurable labor income risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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