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How Changing Prudence and Risk Aversion Affect Optimal Saving

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  • Christian Josef Bauer
  • Wolfgang Buchholz

Abstract

We show how optimal saving in a two-period model is affected when prudence and risk aversion of the underlying utility function change. Increasing prudence alone will induce higher savings only if, for certain combinations of the interest rate and the pure time discount rate, there is distributional neutrality between the two periods. Otherwise, changes of risk aversion that affect the distribution between the periods must also be taken into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Josef Bauer & Wolfgang Buchholz, 2008. "How Changing Prudence and Risk Aversion Affect Optimal Saving," CESifo Working Paper Series 2438, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_2438
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    File URL: https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp2438.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kimball, Miles S, 1990. "Precautionary Saving in the Small and in the Large," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 53-73, January.
    2. Hayne E. Leland, 1968. "Saving and Uncertainty: The Precautionary Demand for Saving," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 82(3), pages 465-473.
    3. Dreze, Jacques H. & Modigliani, Franco, 1972. "Consumption decisions under uncertainty," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 308-335, December.
    4. M. Menegatti, 2007. "A new interpretation for the precautionary saving motive: a note," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 92(3), pages 275-280, December.
    5. Mario Maggi & Umberto Magnani & Mario Menegatti, 2006. "On the relationship between absolute prudence and absolute risk aversion," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 29(2), pages 155-160, November.
    6. Luigi Ventura, 2007. "A note on the relevance of prudence in precautionary saving," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 4(23), pages 1-11.
    7. A. Sandmo, 1970. "The Effect of Uncertainty on Saving Decisions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 37(3), pages 353-360.
    8. Menegatti, Mario, 2001. "On the Conditions for Precautionary Saving," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 98(1), pages 189-193, May.
    9. Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 1994. "Increases in prudence and increases in risk aversion," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 51-53, May.
    10. Partha Dasgupta, 2008. "Discounting climate change," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 141-169, December.
    11. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:4:y:2007:i:23:p:1-11 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. William D. Nordhaus, 2006. "The "Stern Review" on the Economics of Climate Change," NBER Working Papers 12741, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. SCHROYEN, Fred, 2011. "Attitudes towards income risk in the presence of quantity constraints," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2011020, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    2. Buchholz, Wolfgang & Schumacher, Jan, 2010. "Discounting and welfare analysis over time: Choosing the [eta]," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 372-385, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    prudence; risk aversion; saving; intergenerational distribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate

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