IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2506.02155.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Bifurcation in optimal retirement

Author

Listed:
  • Bushra Shehnam Ashraf
  • Thomas S. Salisbury

Abstract

We study optimal consumption and retirement using a Cobb-Douglas utility and a simple model in which an interesting bifurcation arises. With high wealth, individuals plan to retire. With low wealth they plan to never retire. At a critical level of initial wealth they may choose to defer this decision, leading to a continuum of wealth trajectories with identical utilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Bushra Shehnam Ashraf & Thomas S. Salisbury, 2025. "Bifurcation in optimal retirement," Papers 2506.02155, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2506.02155
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.02155
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farhi, Emmanuel & Panageas, Stavros, 2007. "Saving and investing for early retirement: A theoretical analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(1), pages 87-121, January.
    2. Bodie, Zvi & Merton, Robert C. & Samuelson, William F., 1992. "Labor supply flexibility and portfolio choice in a life cycle model," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 16(3-4), pages 427-449.
    3. Francesco Menoncin & Sergio Vergalli, 2021. "Optimal stopping time, consumption, labour, and portfolio decision for a pension scheme," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 67-98, January.
    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. Francisco Gomes & Michael Haliassos & Tarun Ramadorai, 2021. "Household Finance," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 59(3), pages 919-1000, September.
    2. Jeon, Junkee & Park, Kyunghyun, 2023. "Optimal job switching and retirement decision," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 443(C).
    3. Jang, Bong-Gyu & Lee, Ho-Seok, 2016. "Retirement with risk aversion change and borrowing constraints," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 112-124.
    4. Francesco Menoncin & Sergio Vergalli, 2021. "Optimal stopping time, consumption, labour, and portfolio decision for a pension scheme," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 67-98, January.
    5. Mehlkopf, R.J., 2011. "Risk sharing with the unborn," Other publications TiSEM fe8a8df6-455f-4624-af10-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    6. Wei-Bin Zhang, 2017. "Discrimination and Inequality in an Integrated Walrasian-General-Equilibrium and Neoclassical-Growth Theory," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 5(1), pages 57-76, March.
    7. Adam Butt & M. Scott Donald & F. Douglas Foster & Susan Thorp & Geoffrey J. Warren & Tom Smith, 2017. "Design of MySuper default funds: influences and outcomes," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(1), pages 47-85, March.
    8. Andreas Hubener & Raimond Maurer & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2016. "How Family Status and Social Security Claiming Options Shape Optimal Life Cycle Portfolios," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(4), pages 937-978.
    9. Ivanov, Katerina & Tian, Weidong, 2024. "Optimal early retirement with target wealth," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    10. Beetsma, R. & Romp, W., 2016. "Intergenerational Risk Sharing," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 311-380, Elsevier.
    11. Doriana Ruffino, 2014. "Resuscitating Businessman Risk: A Rationale for Familiarity-Based Portfolios," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 17(1), pages 107-130, January.
    12. Jang, Bong-Gyu & Koo, Hyeng Keun & Park, Seyoung, 2019. "Optimal consumption and investment with insurer default risk," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 44-56.
    13. Alain Bensoussan & Bong-Gyu Jang & Seyoung Park, 2016. "Unemployment Risks and Optimal Retirement in an Incomplete Market," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 64(4), pages 1015-1032, August.
    14. Yogo, Motohiro, 2016. "Portfolio choice in retirement: Health risk and the demand for annuities, housing, and risky assets," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 17-34.
    15. Jang, Bong-Gyu & Park, Seyoung & Rhee, Yuna, 2013. "Optimal retirement with unemployment risks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3585-3604.
    16. Stavros Panageas, 2007. "Optimal Retirement Benefit Guarantees," 2007 Meeting Papers 172, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    17. Ryle Perera, 2013. "Optimal investment, consumption–leisure, insurance and retirement choice," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 689-723, November.
    18. Yvonne Adema & Jan Bonenkamp & Lex Meijdam, 2011. "Retirement Flexibility and Portfolio Choice in General Equilibrium," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 11-038/2/DSF13, Tinbergen Institute.
    19. Adema, Y. & Bonenkamp, J. & Meijdam, A.C., 2011. "Retirement Flexibility and Portfolio Choice," Other publications TiSEM 1c3af8c2-1351-4249-b296-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    20. Jingjing Chai & Wolfram Horneff & Raimond Maurer & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2009. "Extending Life Cycle Models of Optimal Portfolio Choice: Integrating Flexible Work, Endogenous Retirement, and Investment Decisions with Lifetime Payouts," NBER Working Papers 15079, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:arx:papers:2506.02155. 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: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    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.