IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/mateco/v117y2025ics0304406825000138.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pareto efficiency and financial fairness under limited expected loss constraint

Author

Listed:
  • Ng, Tak Wa
  • Nguyen, Thai

Abstract

This paper investigates the Pareto efficiency and financial fairness in a collective asset allocation under a limited expected loss (LEL) constraint. By studying a constrained collective optimization problem, we characterize a constrained version of Pareto optimality, named LEL-Pareto optimality, within the admissible class of sharing rules. We propose a novel sharing rule, referred to as the LEL sharing rule, as an alternative to widely used proportional sharing rules. We rigorously demonstrate that every LEL sharing rule is LEL-Pareto-optimal and vice versa, thereby establishing a novel Borch-like criterion in a risk-constrained setting. Under the financial fairness condition, we derive a unique LEL sharing rule through a fixed-point iteration scheme by solving a highly non-linear system of Lagrange multipliers related to LEL-constrained optimization for collective utility and the financial fairness condition. Under mild conditions, we achieve global convergence and establish the existence of a unique fixed point of the iterative algorithm. Our numerical analysis affirms the theoretical findings and underscores the positive influence of the LEL constraint among prevalent proportional sharing rules, emphasizing the importance of risk control in practical scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Ng, Tak Wa & Nguyen, Thai, 2025. "Pareto efficiency and financial fairness under limited expected loss constraint," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:mateco:v:117:y:2025:i:c:s0304406825000138
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmateco.2025.103096
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304406825000138
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jmateco.2025.103096?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Han, Jinhui & Ma, Guiyuan & Yam, Sheung Chi Phillip, 2022. "Relative performance evaluation for dynamic contracts in a large competitive market," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 302(2), pages 768-780.
    2. Athanasoglou, Stergios, 2022. "On the existence of efficient, individually rational, and fair environmental agreements," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    3. Mendolicchio, C. & Pietra, T., 2019. "A re-examination of constrained Pareto inefficiency in economies with incomplete markets," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 39-55.
    4. Bernard, C. & De Gennaro Aquino, L. & Vanduffel, S., 2023. "Optimal multivariate financial decision making," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 307(1), pages 468-483.
    5. C. Mendolicchio & T. Pietra, 2021. "Full and constrained Pareto efficiency with incomplete financial markets," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 71(1), pages 211-234, February.
    6. Chen, An & Nguyen, Thai & Rach, Manuel, 2021. "Optimal collective investment: The impact of sharing rules, management fees and guarantees," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    7. repec:hal:journl:hal-00538974 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Mi, Hui & Xu, Zuo Quan, 2023. "Optimal portfolio selection with VaR and portfolio insurance constraints under rank-dependent expected utility theory," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 82-105.
    9. Chateauneuf, Alain & Dana, Rose-Anne & Tallon, Jean-Marc, 2000. "Optimal risk-sharing rules and equilibria with Choquet-expected-utility," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 191-214, October.
    10. Nicole Branger & An Chen & Antje Mahayni & Thai Nguyen, 2023. "Optimal collective investment: an analysis of individual welfare," Mathematics and Financial Economics, Springer, volume 17, number 5, December.
    11. Amershi, Amin H & Stoeckenius, Jan H W, 1983. "The Theory of Syndicates and Linear Sharing Rules," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 51(5), pages 1407-1416, September.
    12. Carlier, G. & Lachapelle, A., 2011. "A numerical approach for a class of risk-sharing problems," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 1-13, January.
    13. Schumacher, Johannes M., 2018. "Linear Versus Nonlinear Allocation Rules In Risk Sharing Under Financial Fairness," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 48(3), pages 995-1024, September.
    14. Guan, Guohui & Liang, Zongxia & Xia, Yi, 2023. "Optimal management of DC pension fund under the relative performance ratio and VaR constraint," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(2), pages 868-886.
    15. Huang, Chi-fu, 1987. "An Intertemporal General Equilibrium Asset Pricing Model: The Case of Diffusion Information," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(1), pages 117-142, January.
    16. Chi, Chang Koo & Choi, Kyoung Jin, 2023. "A dual approach to agency problems," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    17. Bao, Hailong & Ponds, Eduard H.M. & Schumacher, Johannes M., 2017. "Multi-period risk sharing under financial fairness," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 49-66.
    18. Huang, Chi-fu & Litzenberger, Robert, 1985. "On the Necessary Condition for Linear Sharing and Separation: A Note," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(3), pages 381-384, September.
    19. Alain Bensoussan & Ka Chun Cheung & Yiqun Li & Sheung Chi Phillip Yam, 2022. "Inter‐temporal mutual‐fund management," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 825-877, July.
    20. Pazdera, Jaroslav & Schumacher, Johannes M. & Werker, Bas J.M., 2017. "The composite iteration algorithm for finding efficient and financially fair risk-sharing rules," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 122-133.
    21. Pazdera, Jaroslav & Schumacher, Johannes M. & Werker, Bas J.M., 2016. "Cooperative investment in incomplete markets under financial fairness," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 394-406.
    22. Ng, Tak Wa & Nguyen, Thai, 2023. "Portfolio performance under benchmarking relative loss and portfolio insurance: From omega ratio to loss aversion," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(1), pages 149-183, January.
    23. Kranich, Laurence, 2020. "Resource-envy-free and efficient allocations: A new solution for production economies with dedicated factors," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 1-7.
    24. Bühlmann, Hans & Jewell, William S., 1979. "Optimal Risk Exchanges," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(3), pages 243-262, December.
    25. Echenique, Federico & Miralles, Antonio & Zhang, Jun, 2021. "Fairness and efficiency for allocations with participation constraints," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    26. Chakravarty, Surajeet & Kelsey, David, 2015. "Sharing ambiguous risks," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-8.
    27. Zhao, Li & Huang, Wenli & Ba, Shusong, 2018. "Optimal effort under high-water mark contracts," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 599-610.
    28. Rose-Anne Dana, 2011. "Comonotonicity, Efficient Risk-sharing and Equilibria in markets with short-selling for concave law-invariant utilities," Post-Print hal-00655172, HAL.
    29. Basak, Suleyman & Shapiro, Alexander, 2001. "Value-at-Risk-Based Risk Management: Optimal Policies and Asset Prices," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 371-405.
    30. Chateauneuf, Alain & Dana, Rose-Anne & Tallon, Jean-Marc, 2000. "Optimal risk-sharing rules and equilibria with Choquet-expected-utility," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 191-214, October.
    31. Cole, Richard & Tao, Yixin, 2021. "On the existence of Pareto Efficient and envy-free allocations," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    32. Ioannis Karatzas & John P. Lehoczky & Steven E. Shreve, 1990. "Existence and Uniqueness of Multi-Agent Equilibrium in a Stochastic, Dynamic Consumption/Investment Model," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(1), pages 80-128, February.
    33. Jia-Wen Gu & Mogens Steffensen & Harry Zheng, 2021. "A note on - vs. -expected loss portfolio constraints," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 263-270, February.
    34. Dana, Rose-Anne & Scarsini, Marco, 2007. "Optimal risk sharing with background risk," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 133(1), pages 152-176, March.
    35. Magnus Dahlquist & Ofer Setty & Roine Vestman, 2018. "On the Asset Allocation of a Default Pension Fund," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(4), pages 1893-1936, August.
    36. An Chen & Thai Nguyen & Manuel Rach, 2021. "A collective investment problem in a stochastic volatility environment: The impact of sharing rules," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 302(1), pages 85-109, July.
    37. Dumas, Bernard, 1989. "Two-Person Dynamic Equilibrium in the Capital Market," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 2(2), pages 157-188.
    38. repec:dau:papers:123456789/5461 is not listed on IDEAS
    39. Sang Wu & Yinghui Dong & Wenxin Lv & Guojing Wang, 2020. "Optimal asset allocation for participating contracts with mortality risk under minimum guarantee," Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(14), pages 3481-3497, July.
    40. repec:dau:papers:123456789/6560 is not listed on IDEAS
    41. Alserda, Gosse A.G. & Dellaert, Benedict G.C. & Swinkels, Laurens & van der Lecq, Fieke S.G., 2019. "Individual pension risk preference elicitation and collective asset allocation with heterogeneity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 206-225.
    42. Knut Aase, 2002. "Perspectives of Risk Sharing," Scandinavian Actuarial Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2002(2), pages 73-128.
    43. Chen, An & Hieber, Peter & Nguyen, Thai, 2019. "Constrained non-concave utility maximization: An application to life insurance contracts with guarantees," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 273(3), pages 1119-1135.
    44. Jianming Xia, 2004. "Multi-agent investment in incomplete markets," Finance and Stochastics, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 241-259, May.
    45. Dong, Yinghui & Zheng, Harry, 2020. "Optimal investment with S-shaped utility and trading and Value at Risk constraints: An application to defined contribution pension plan," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 281(2), pages 341-356.
    46. Ngo Long & Gerhard Sorger, 2010. "A dynamic principal-agent problem as a feedback Stackelberg differential game," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 18(4), pages 491-509, December.
    47. Oliver Janke & Qinghua Li, 2015. "Portfolio Optimization under Shortfall Risk Constraint," Papers 1501.07480, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2016.
    48. Gundel, Anne & Weber, Stefan, 2008. "Utility maximization under a shortfall risk constraint," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(11), pages 1126-1151, December.
    49. Paul Embrechts & Haiyan Liu & Tiantian Mao & Ruodu Wang, 2017. "Quantile-Based Risk Sharing with Heterogeneous Beliefs," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 17-65, Swiss Finance Institute, revised Jan 2018.
    50. Pengyu Wei, 2018. "Risk management with weighted VaR," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1020-1060, October.
    51. Kim, Hugh Hoikwang & Maurer, Raimond & Mitchell, Olivia S., 2016. "Time is money: Rational life cycle inertia and the delegation of investment management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 427-447.
    52. Robert Watson, 2008. "A review of the risks, costs and benefits of defined contribution and defined benefit pension schemes," Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(3), pages 230-238, July.
    53. Dana, R.-A., 2011. "Comonotonicity, efficient risk-sharing and equilibria in markets with short-selling for concave law-invariant utilities," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 328-335.
    54. Ross, Stephen A, 1973. "The Economic Theory of Agency: The Principal's Problem," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(2), pages 134-139, May.
    55. Bjarne Astrup Jensen & Jørgen Aase Nielsen, 2016. "How suboptimal are linear sharing rules?," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 221-243, May.
    56. Itamar Drechsler, 2014. "Risk Choice under High-Water Marks," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(7), pages 2052-2096.
    57. An Chen & Thai Nguyen, 2024. "Risk management under weighted limited expected loss," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 593-612, May.
    58. Liebrich, Felix-Benedikt & Svindland, Gregor, 2019. "Efficient allocations under law-invariance: A unifying approach," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 28-45.
    59. Kraft, Holger & Steffensen, Mogens, 2013. "A dynamic programming approach to constrained portfolios," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(2), pages 453-461.
    60. Chen, An & Nguyen, Thai & Stadje, Mitja, 2018. "Optimal investment under VaR-Regulation and Minimum Insurance," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 194-209.
    61. repec:dau:papers:123456789/5532 is not listed on IDEAS
    62. Robert Watson, 2008. "A review of the risks, costs and benefits of defined contribution and defined benefit pension schemes," Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(3), pages 230-238, July.
    63. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3821 is not listed on IDEAS
    64. Yinghui Dong & Sang Wu & Wenxin Lv & Guojing Wang, 2020. "Optimal asset allocation for participating contracts under the VaR and PI constraint," Scandinavian Actuarial Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2020(2), pages 84-109, February.
    65. Grossman, Sanford J & Zhou, Zhongquan, 1996. "Equilibrium Analysis of Portfolio Insurance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(4), pages 1379-1403, September.
    66. Bogdan Grechuk & Michael Zabarankin, 2017. "Synergy effect of cooperative investment," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 249(1), pages 409-431, February.
    67. Cox, John C. & Huang, Chi-fu, 1989. "Optimal consumption and portfolio policies when asset prices follow a diffusion process," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 33-83, October.
    68. Barrieu, Pauline & Scandolo, Giacomo, 2008. "General Pareto Optimal Allocations and Applications to Multi-Period Risks1," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(1), pages 105-136, May.
    69. Basak, Suleyman, 2002. "A comparative study of portfolio insurance," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 26(7-8), pages 1217-1241, July.
    70. Miyagishima, Kaname, 2019. "Fair criteria for social decisions under uncertainty," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 77-87.
    71. Hui Ou-Yang, 2003. "Optimal Contracts in a Continuous-Time Delegated Portfolio Management Problem," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 173-208.
    72. Edwin J. Elton & Martin J. Gruber & Christopher R. Blake, 2014. "The Performance of Separate Accounts and Collective Investment Trusts," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 18(5), pages 1717-1742.
    73. Weinbaum, David, 2009. "Investor heterogeneity, asset pricing and volatility dynamics," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1379-1397, July.
    74. Charalambos D. Aliprantis & Kim C. Border, 2006. "Infinite Dimensional Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-3-540-29587-7, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, An & Nguyen, Thai & Rach, Manuel, 2021. "Optimal collective investment: The impact of sharing rules, management fees and guarantees," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    2. An Chen & Thai Nguyen & Manuel Rach, 2021. "A collective investment problem in a stochastic volatility environment: The impact of sharing rules," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 302(1), pages 85-109, July.
    3. Nicole Branger & An Chen & Antje Mahayni & Thai Nguyen, 2023. "Optimal collective investment: an analysis of individual welfare," Mathematics and Financial Economics, Springer, volume 17, number 5, December.
    4. Chen, An & Rach, Manuel, 2023. "Actuarial fairness and social welfare in mixed-cohort tontines," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 214-229.
    5. Pazdera, Jaroslav & Schumacher, Johannes M. & Werker, Bas J.M., 2017. "The composite iteration algorithm for finding efficient and financially fair risk-sharing rules," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 122-133.
    6. Joel M. Vanden, 2006. "Portfolio Insurance And Volatility Regime Switching," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 387-417, April.
    7. Fangyuan Zhang, 2023. "Non-concave portfolio optimization with average value-at-risk," Mathematics and Financial Economics, Springer, volume 17, number 3, December.
    8. Bernard, C. & De Gennaro Aquino, L. & Vanduffel, S., 2023. "Optimal multivariate financial decision making," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 307(1), pages 468-483.
    9. Fießinger, Felix & Stadje, Mitja, 2025. "Mean-variance optimization for participating life insurance contracts," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 230-248.
    10. Chen, An & Stadje, Mitja & Zhang, Fangyuan, 2024. "On the equivalence between Value-at-Risk- and Expected Shortfall-based risk measures in non-concave optimization," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 114-129.
    11. Hui Mi & Zuo Quan Xu & Dongfang Yang, 2023. "Optimal Management of DC Pension Plan with Inflation Risk and Tail VaR Constraint," Papers 2309.01936, arXiv.org.
    12. Zuo Quan Xu, 2021. "Moral-hazard-free insurance: mean-variance premium principle and rank-dependent utility theory," Papers 2108.06940, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    13. Felix Fie{ss}inger & Mitja Stadje, 2024. "Mean-Variance Optimization for Participating Life Insurance Contracts," Papers 2407.11761, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2025.
    14. Basak, Suleyman, 2002. "A comparative study of portfolio insurance," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 26(7-8), pages 1217-1241, July.
    15. Balter, Anne G. & Schweizer, Nikolaus, 2024. "Robust decisions for heterogeneous agents via certainty equivalents," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 317(1), pages 171-184.
    16. An Chen & Thai Nguyen & Mitja Stadje, 2018. "Risk management with multiple VaR constraints," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 88(2), pages 297-337, October.
    17. Marcos Escobar-Anel & Michel Kschonnek & Rudi Zagst, 2022. "Portfolio optimization: not necessarily concave utility and constraints on wealth and allocation," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 95(1), pages 101-140, February.
    18. Christian Heyerdahl-Larsen & Philipp Illeditsch, 2018. "Demand Disagreement," 2018 Meeting Papers 607, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    19. Suleyman Basak & Michael Gallmeyer, 1999. "Currency Prices, the Nominal Exchange Rate, and Security Prices in a Two‐Country Dynamic Monetary Equilibrium," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), pages 1-30, January.
    20. Mi, Hui & Xu, Zuo Quan, 2023. "Optimal portfolio selection with VaR and portfolio insurance constraints under rank-dependent expected utility theory," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 82-105.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:mateco:v:117:y:2025:i:c:s0304406825000138. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jmateco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.