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Optimal Portfolio Choice with Wage-Indexed Social Security

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  • Jialun Li
  • Kent Smetters

Abstract

This paper re-examines the classic question of how a household should optimally allocate its portfolio between risky stocks and risk-free bonds over its lifecycle. We show that allowing for the wage indexation of social security benefits fundamentally alters the optimal decisions. Moreover, the optimal allocation is close to observed empirical behavior. Households, therefore, do not appear to be making large "mistakes," as sometimes believed. In fact, traditional financial planning advice, as embedded in "target date" funds - whose enormous recent growth has been encouraged by new government policy - often leads to even relatively larger "mistakes" and welfare losses.

Suggested Citation

  • Jialun Li & Kent Smetters, 2011. "Optimal Portfolio Choice with Wage-Indexed Social Security," NBER Working Papers 17025, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17025
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    Cited by:

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    2. Fischer, Marcel & Kraft, Holger & Munk, Claus, 2013. "Asset allocation over the life cycle: How much do taxes matter?," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 2217-2240.
    3. Constantin ANGHELACHE & Mădălina-Gabriela ANGHEL & Ștefan Virgil IACOB & Iulian RADU, 2022. "Assessing the performance of mutual funds," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(2(631), S), pages 175-186, Summer.
    4. Marekwica, Marcel & Schaefer, Alexander & Sebastian, Steffen, 2013. "Life cycle asset allocation in the presence of housing and tax-deferred investing," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 1110-1125.
    5. Constantin ANGHELACHE & Mădălina-Gabriela ANGHEL & Ștefan Virgil IACOB & Dana Luiza GRIGORESCU, 2022. "Model for estimating the profitability of placing asset portfolios on the capital market," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(2(631), S), pages 187-195, Summer.
    6. Valentinas Rudys, 2023. "How does retirement affect optimal life cycle portfolio allocation between stocks and bonds?," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(3), pages 212-224, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • H0 - Public Economics - - General

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