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Inferior Good and Giffen Behavior for Investing and Borrowing

Author

Listed:
  • Felix Kubler
  • Larry Selden
  • Xiao Wei

Abstract

The standard assumption that asset demand increases in income and decreases in price has its origin in Arrow's classic model with one risky and one risk free asset, where both are held long, and preferences exhibit decreasing absolute and increasing relative risk aversion. However if one allows shorting of the risk free asset or decreasing relative risk aversion, the risk free asset can not only fail to be a normal good but can be a Giffen good. This behavior can occur even for members of the popular HARA utility family. More generally, Giffen behavior can occur over multiple income ranges.

Suggested Citation

  • Felix Kubler & Larry Selden & Xiao Wei, 2013. "Inferior Good and Giffen Behavior for Investing and Borrowing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(2), pages 1034-1053, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:103:y:2013:i:2:p:1034-53
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.103.2.1034
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Meyer, Donald J. & Meyer, Jack, 2005. "Risk preferences in multi-period consumption models, the equity premium puzzle, and habit formation utility," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(8), pages 1497-1515, November.
    2. Saku Aura & Peter Diamond & John Geanakoplos, 2002. "Savings and Portfolio Choice in a Two-Period Two-Asset Model," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 1185-1191, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Won, Dong Chul, 2023. "A new approach to the uniqueness of equilibrium with CRRA preferences," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    2. Yakar Kannai & Larry Selden, 2014. "Violation of the Law of Demand," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 55(1), pages 1-28, January.
    3. Kazuyuki Sasakura, 2021. "Calculating a Giffen Good," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 7(3), pages 349-369, November.
    4. Dong, Xueqi & Liu, Shuo Li, 2021. "Proportional Tax under Ambiguity," MPRA Paper 107668, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Lanier, Joshua, 2020. "Risk, ambiguity, and Giffen assets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    6. Felix Kubler & Larry Selden & Xiao Wei, 2014. "When Is a Risky Asset "Urgently Needed"?," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(2), pages 131-162, May.
    7. Alexis Akira Toda & Kieran James Walsh, 2017. "Edgeworth box economies with multiple equilibria," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 5(1), pages 65-80, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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