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Risk and Precautionary Saving in Two-Person Households

Author

Listed:
  • Patricia Apps
  • Yuri Andrienko
  • Ray Rees

Abstract

The existing literature on precautionary saving is based almost entirely on the assumption that the household acts as if it consisted of a single individual decision-taker. In reality saving decisions are typically taken by two-person households. This paper examines the implications of this observation for the existence of precautionary saving, and shows that the assumption that the individual utility functions satisfy the conditions for precautionary saving to exist can imply that the household exhibits precautionary saving, but only under strong assumptions on the type of risk change being considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Patricia Apps & Yuri Andrienko & Ray Rees, 2014. "Risk and Precautionary Saving in Two-Person Households," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(3), pages 1040-1046, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:104:y:2014:i:3:p:1040-46
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.3.1040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Martin Browning & Annamaria Lusardi, 1996. "Household Saving: Micro Theories and Micro Facts," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 34(4), pages 1797-1855, December.
    3. Apps, Patricia F. & Rees, Ray, 1988. "Taxation and the household," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 355-369, April.
    4. Apps,Patricia & Rees,Ray, 2009. "Public Economics and the Household," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521716284.
    5. M. Browning & P. A. Chiappori, 1998. "Efficient Intra-Household Allocations: A General Characterization and Empirical Tests," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 66(6), pages 1241-1278, November.
    6. Rothschild, Michael & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1971. "Increasing risk II: Its economic consequences," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 66-84, March.
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    8. Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 2008. "Changes in risk and the demand for saving," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(7), pages 1329-1336, October.
    9. Kaushik Basu, 2006. "Gender and Say: a Model of Household Behaviour with Endogenously Determined Balance of Power," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(511), pages 558-580, April.
    10. Apps, Patricia & Andrienko, Yuri & Rees, Ray, 2012. "Risk and Saving in Two-Person Households: More Scope for Precautionary Saving," IZA Discussion Papers 6824, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Maurizio Mazzocco, 2007. "Household Intertemporal Behaviour: A Collective Characterization and a Test of Commitment," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 74(3), pages 857-895.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Louis Eeckhoudt & Elisa Pagani & Eugenio Peluso, 2023. "Multidimensional risk aversion: the cardinal sin," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 320(1), pages 15-31, January.
    3. Suen, Richard M.H., 2018. "Standard risk aversion and efficient risk sharing," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 23-26.
    4. J. Atsu Amegashie & Michael Batu, 2020. "The Welfare State and International Remittances," Finnish Economic Papers, Finnish Economic Association, vol. 29(1), pages 33-51, Spring.
    5. Bouyon, Sylvain, 2014. "A Review of Policy Options for Monitoring Household Saving," ECRI Papers 9754, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    6. Francesco Mariotti & Maria Dickson & Karen Mumford & Yolanda Pena-Boquete, 2016. "Job Insecurity Within the Household: Are Australian Householders Caring When it Comes to Risk Sharing?," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 19(2), pages 77-90.
    7. J. Atsu Amegashie & Michael Batu, 2015. "Wider Boundaries: The Welfare State and International Remittances," CESifo Working Paper Series 5456, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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