The Effect of Advanced Age and Equity Values on Risk Preferences

This paper analyzes the effect equity values and age have on the risk aversion of participants in U.S. defined contribution plans using a unique dataset with daily responses to a risk tolerance questionnaire. We find that older investors are more risk averse compared to younger cohorts when controlling for the level of the S&P 500 Index, account balance, income, savings percentage, equity percentage and allocation fund percentage. We also find that risk preferences are influenced by the level of the S&P 500, but only in advanced age. This finding is consistent with decreasing absolute risk aversion when wealth is proxied by the S&P 500 Index