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Tactical Target Date Funds

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  • Gomes, Francisco
  • Michaelides, Alexander
  • Zhang, Yuxin

Abstract

We show that saving for retirement in target date funds (TDFs) modified to take advantage of predictability in excess returns driven by the variance risk premium generates economically large welfare gains. We call these funds tactical target date funds (TTDFs). To be easily implementable and communicated to investors, the portfolio rule followed by TTDFs is designed to be extremely simplified relative to the optimal policy rules. Despite this significant mis-specification, substantial welfare gains persist. Importantly, these gains remain economically important even after we introduce restrictions that limit turnover to empirically observed magnitudes for mutual funds, and after we take into account potential increases in transaction costs. Crucially, we show that this predictability is not correlated with individual household risk, confirming that households are in a prime position to exploit this premium.

Suggested Citation

  • Gomes, Francisco & Michaelides, Alexander & Zhang, Yuxin, 2018. "Tactical Target Date Funds," CEPR Discussion Papers 13019, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:13019
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Target date funds; Life cycle portfolio choice; Retirement savings; Variance risk premium; Strategic asset allocation; Tactical asset allocation; Market timing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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