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Social Security Investment in Equities

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Diamond
  • John Geanakoplos

Abstract

This paper explores the general-equilibrium impact of social security portfolio diversification into private securities, either through the trust fund or private accounts. The analysis depends critically on heterogeneities in saving, production, assets, and taxes. Limited diversification weakly increases interest rates, reduces the expected return on short-term investment (and the equity premium), decreases safe investment, increases risky investment, and increases a suitably weighted social welfare function. However, the effects on aggregate investment, long-term capital values, and the utility of young savers hinges on assumptions about technology. Aggregate investment and long-term asset values can move in opposite directions. (JEL H55)

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Diamond & John Geanakoplos, 2003. "Social Security Investment in Equities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(4), pages 1047-1074, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:93:y:2003:i:4:p:1047-1074
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/000282803769206197
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kent Smetters, 2005. "Social Security Privatization with Elastic Labor Supply and Second-Best Taxes," NBER Working Papers 11101, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Gottardi, Piero & Kubler, Felix, 2011. "Social security and risk sharing," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(3), pages 1078-1106, May.
    3. Ebrahim, M. Shahid & Mathur, Ike & ap Gwilym, Rhys, 2014. "Integrating corporate ownership and pension fund structures: A general equilibrium approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 553-569.
    4. Emanuele Dicarlo & Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Mauro Marè & Marco Olivari, 2025. "Measuring What Matters: Why Italy May Be in Better Fiscal Shape than the US," NBER Working Papers 34340, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Corneo Giacomo, 2018. "Ein Staatsfonds, der eine soziale Dividende finanziert," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 94-109, July.
    6. Hurst, Erik & Willen, Paul, 2007. "Social security and unsecured debt," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(7-8), pages 1273-1297, August.
    7. Bossi, Luca, 2008. "Intergenerational risk shifting through social security and bailout politics," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 2240-2268, July.
    8. Peter A. Diamond, 2018. "The Future Of Social Security," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(2), pages 661-681, April.
    9. Jeffrey R. Brown & Zoran Ivković & Paul A. Smith & Scott Weisbenner, 2008. "Neighbors Matter: Causal Community Effects and Stock Market Participation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1509-1531, June.
    10. Maen F. Nsour & Ph.D. & Samer AM Al-Rjoub & Ph.D., 2022. "How Would Investing in Equities Have Affected the Social Security Investment Fund in an Emerging Market? Can Governance Help?," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(4), pages 55-72.
    11. Mattia Landoni & Stephen P Zeldes, 2025. "Should the Government Be Paying Investment Fees on $3 Trillion of Tax-Deferred Retirement Assets?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 38(4), pages 1014-1066.
    12. Attanasio, Orazio & Kitao, Sagiri & Violante, Giovanni L., 2007. "Global demographic trends and social security reform," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 144-198, January.
    13. Nikolaos Kokonas & Herakles Polemarchakis, 2017. "Debt and welfare in economies with land," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 64(4), pages 805-824, December.
    14. Wolfgang Kuhle, 2014. "The Optimal Structure for Public Debt," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(2), pages 321-348, May.
    15. Smetters, Kent, 2006. "Risk sharing across generations without publicly owned equities," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(7), pages 1493-1508, October.
    16. Valery Polkovnichenko & Alexander Michaelides & Francisco Gomes, 2007. "Fiscal Policy, Asset Pricing and Economic Activity in a Savers-Spenders Economy," 2007 Meeting Papers 191, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    17. Marcello D’Amato & Christian Di Pietro & Marco M. Sorge, 2024. "Left and right: a tale of two tails of the wealth distribution," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 78(4), pages 1389-1433, December.
    18. Deborah Lucas & Marvin Phaup, 1975. "The Cost of Risk to the Government and Its Implications for Federal Budgeting," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring and Managing Federal Financial Risk, pages 29-54, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Andrew Biggs & Clark Burdick & Kent Smetters, 2009. "Pricing Personal Account Benefit Guarantees: A Simplified Approach," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Policy in a Changing Environment, pages 229-249, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Barr, Nicholas, 2021. "Pension design and the failed economics of squirrels," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111927, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    21. Werding, Martin & Primorac, Marko, 2018. "Old-age provision in transition: the case of Croatia," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(4), pages 576-593, October.
    22. Robert Novy-Marx & Joshua D. Rauh, 2009. "The Liabilities and Risks of State-Sponsored Pension Plans," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(4), pages 191-210, Fall.
    23. Corneo, Giacomo, 2020. "Progressive Sovereign Wealth Funds," CEPR Discussion Papers 14746, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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