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How vulnerable is risk aversion to wealth, health and other risks? An empirical analysis for Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Christophe Courbage

    (Geneva School of Business Administration)

  • Guillem Montoliu-Montes

    (UNIL - Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne)

  • Béatrice Rey

    (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This paper empirically assesses how financial risk aversion reacts to a change in individuals' wealth and health and to the presence of both financial and health risks using the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Individuals in our sample exhibit financial risk aversion decreasing both in wealth and health. Financial risk aversion is also found to increase in the presence of a background financial risk and a background health risk. Interestingly, risk aversion is shown to be convex in wealth but linear in health. Such findings complement the literature on risk aversion behaviours and can help to better understand various economic decisions in a risky environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Christophe Courbage & Guillem Montoliu-Montes & Béatrice Rey, 2018. "How vulnerable is risk aversion to wealth, health and other risks? An empirical analysis for Europe," Working Papers halshs-01935846, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01935846
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01935846
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Björn Bos & Moritz A. Drupp & Jasper N. Meya & Martin F. Quaas, 2023. "Financial Risk-Taking under Health Risk," CESifo Working Paper Series 10387, CESifo.
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    3. Tomas Pedro Sanguinetti, 2019. "How Do Couples Choose Individual Insurance Plans? Evidence from Medicare Part D," 2019 Papers psa1760, Job Market Papers.

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    Keywords

    risk aversion; (cross-) DARA; (cross-) risk vulnerability; background risk; health risk;
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