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Interpreting Life Cycle Inequality Patterns as an Efficient Allocation: Mission Impossible?

Author

Listed:
  • Alejandro Badel

    (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

  • Mark Huggett

    (Georgetown University)

Abstract

The life-cycle patterns of consumption, wage and hours inequality observed in U.S. cross-section data are commonly viewed as incompatible with a Pareto efficient allocation. We determine the extent to which these qualitative and quantitative patterns can or cannot be produced by Pareto efficient allocations in models with preference shocks, wage shocks and full information. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Suggested Citation

  • Alejandro Badel & Mark Huggett, 2014. "Interpreting Life Cycle Inequality Patterns as an Efficient Allocation: Mission Impossible?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 17(4), pages 613-629, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:issued:12-119
    DOI: 10.1016/j.red.2014.02.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gang Sun, 2013. "Consumption Inequality and Discount Rate Heterogeneity," Discussion Paper Series, School of Economics and Finance 201318, School of Economics and Finance, University of St Andrews.
    3. Carroll, Daniel R. & Young, Eric R., 2011. "The long run effects of changes in tax progressivity," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1451-1473, September.
    4. Fulford, Scott L., 2015. "The surprisingly low importance of income uncertainty for precaution," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 151-171.
    5. Gang Sun, 2012. "Complete Markets Strikes Back: Revisiting Risk Sharing Tests under Discount Rate Heterogeneity," Discussion Paper Series, School of Economics and Finance 201317, School of Economics and Finance, University of St Andrews, revised 26 Feb 2013.
    6. Laurence Ales & Maziero Pricila, "undated". "Accounting for Private Information," GSIA Working Papers 2010-E58, Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business.
    7. Diasakos, Theodoros M, 2013. "Comparative Statics of Asset Prices: the effect of other assets' risk," SIRE Discussion Papers 2013-94, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    8. repec:fip:fedreq:y:2011:i:3q:p:255-326:n:vol.97no.3 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Sander Heinsalu, 2018. "Dynamic Noisy Signaling," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 225-249, May.
    10. Sun, Gang, 2013. "Complete Markets Strikes Back: Revisiting Risk Sharing Tests under Discount Rate Heterogeneity," SIRE Discussion Papers 2013-96, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    11. Sun, Gang, 2013. "Consumption Inequality and Discount Rate Heterogeneity," SIRE Discussion Papers 2013-97, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    12. Levin, Mark (Левин, Марк) & Matrosova, Ksenia (Матросова, Ксения), 2018. "Development and Research of Economic Behavior of Households in Changing Conditions [Разработка И Исследование Экономического Поведения Домохозяйств В Изменяющихся Условиях]," Working Papers 041825, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    13. Gang Sun, 2015. "Complete Markets Strikes Back: Is the Reduced-form Measure of Consumption Insurance Reliable?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 18(4), pages 921-930, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life cycle; Inequality; Efficient Allocation; Preference shocks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • D52 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Incomplete Markets

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