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Who saves more, the naive or the sophisticated agent?

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  • Groneck, Max
  • Ludwig, Alexander
  • Zimper, Alexander

Abstract

We consider a class of additively time-separable life-cycle consumption-savings models with iso-elastic per period power utility featuring resistance to inter-temporal substitution of θ with linear consumption policy functions. The utility maximization problem is dynamically inconsistent for almost all specifications of effective discount factors. Pollak (1968) shows that the savings behavior of a sophisticated and a naive agent is identical with logarithmic utility (θ = 1). We extend this result by showing that the sophisticated agent saves in any period a greater fraction of her wealth than the naive agent if and only if θ ≥ 1, irrespective of the discount function.

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  • Groneck, Max & Ludwig, Alexander & Zimper, Alexander, 2022. "Who saves more, the naive or the sophisticated agent?," SAFE Working Paper Series 169, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, revised 2022.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:safewp:169
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    Keywords

    Life-Cycle Model; Discount Functions; Dynamic Inconsistency; Epstein-Zin- Weil Preferences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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