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The Timing of Intergenerational Transfers, Tax Policy, and Aggregate Savings

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  • Altig, David
  • Davis, Steven J

Abstract

The authors analyze an overlapping-generations framework that accommodates two observations: (1) the interest rate on consumption loans exceeds the rate of return to savings and (2) private intergenerational transfers primarily occur early in the life cycle. Assuming altruistically motivated transfers in at least some family lines and other plausible conditions, the authors prove the invariance of capital's steady-state marginal product to government debt, government expenditures, and the tax rates on labor and capital income. The authors show that the tax treatment of household interest payments has powerful effects on capital intensity and aggregate savings in life-cycle and, especially, altruistic linkage models. Copyright 1992 by American Economic Association.

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  • Altig, David & Davis, Steven J, 1992. "The Timing of Intergenerational Transfers, Tax Policy, and Aggregate Savings," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(5), pages 1199-1220, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:82:y:1992:i:5:p:1199-220
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    Cited by:

    1. Ayal Kimhi, 2009. "Pension Wealth And Intergenerational Succession In Family Businesses," Portuguese Journal of Management Studies, ISEG, Universidade de Lisboa, vol. 0(2), pages 177-188.
    2. Igor Livshits & James MacGee & Michèle Tertilt, 2010. "Accounting for the Rise in Consumer Bankruptcies," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 165-193, April.
    3. David E. Altig, 1990. "The case of the missing interest deductions: will tax reform increase U. S. saving rates?," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, vol. 26(Q IV), pages 22-34.
    4. Emanuela Cardia & Serena Ng, 1997. "How Important are Intergenerational Transfers of Time? A Macroeconomic Analysis," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 395, Boston College Department of Economics.
    5. Cox, Donald & Eser, Zekeriya & Jimenez, Emmanuel, 1998. "Motives for private transfers over the life cycle: An analytical framework and evidence for Peru," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 57-80, February.
    6. Altonji, Joseph G & Hayashi, Fumio & Kotlikoff, Laurence J, 1997. "Parental Altruism and Inter Vivos Transfers: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 105(6), pages 1121-1166, December.
    7. Smetters, Kent, 1999. "Ricardian equivalence: long-run Leviathan," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(3), pages 395-421, September.
    8. Mishra, Ashok K. & El-Osta, Hisham S. & Johnson, James D., 2004. "Succession In Family Farm Business: Empirical Evidence From The U.S. Farm Sector," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20114, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    9. Steven J. Davis & Felix Kubler & Paul Willen, 2006. "Borrowing Costs and the Demand for Equity over the Life Cycle," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 88(2), pages 348-362, May.
    10. Hurst, Erik & Willen, Paul, 2007. "Social security and unsecured debt," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(7-8), pages 1273-1297, August.
    11. Laura Bartiloro & Cristiana Rampazzi, 2015. "Financial support from the family network during the crisis," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 291, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    12. Corina Boar, 2020. "Dynastic Precautionary Savings," NBER Working Papers 26635, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Altig, David & Davis, Steven J., 1993. "Borrowing constraints and two-sided altruism with an application to social security," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 467-494, May.
    14. Philippe Michel & Pierre Pestieau, 1998. "Fiscal Policy in a Growth Model with Both Altruistic and Nonaltruistic Agents," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 64(3), pages 682-697, January.
    15. Barczyk, Daniel, 2016. "Ricardian equivalence revisited: Deficits, gifts and bequests," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-24.
    16. David E. Altig, 1992. "An ebbing tide lowers all boats: monetary policy, inflation, and social justice," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, vol. 28(Q II), pages 14-22.
    17. Robin Boadway & David Wildasin, 1994. "Taxation and savings: a survey," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 19-63, August.
    18. Corina Boar, 2017. "Dynastic Precautionary Savings," 2017 Meeting Papers 343, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    19. Daniel Barczyk, 2013. "Deficits, Gifts, and Bequests," 2013 Meeting Papers 25, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    20. Yang, Siqiang & Ripoll, Marla, 2023. "Financial transfers from parents to adult children," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 286-303.
    21. Nzinga Broussard & Ralph Chami & Gregory Hess, 2015. "(Why) Do self-employed parents have more children?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 297-321, June.
    22. Emanuela Cardia & Serena Ng, 2003. "Intergenerational Time Transfers and Childcare," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 6(2), pages 431-454, April.
    23. Miljkovic, Dragan, 2000. "Optimal timing in the problem of family farm transfer from parent to child: an option value approach," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 543-552, April.

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