This paper, using the different alternative methods of dynamic optimization (the Lagrange/Kuhn-Tucker (LKT) method, the substitution method, the Hamiltonian method, and the dynamic programming approach) derives the conditions that must be satisfied by the solution to the so-called Ramsey...

This paper proposes a new approach for modeling investor fear after rare disasters. The key element is to take into account that investors’ information about fundamentals driving rare downward jumps in the dividend process is not perfect. Bayesian learning implies that beliefs about the...

Assets in tax-deferred retirement accounts (TDA) and housing are two major components of household portfolios. In this paper, we develop a life-cycle model to examine the interaction between households' use of TDA and their housing decisions. The model generates life-cycle patterns of home...

This paper proposes a new approach for modeling investor fear after rare disasters. The key element is to take into account that investors’ information about fundamentals driving rare downward jumps in the dividend process is not perfect. Bayesian learning implies that beliefs about the...

Empirical evidence suggests that it may cost time, effort, and resources to implement an optimal consumption-saving plan, although the cost may differ across individuals. This paper explores the implications of such friction. We begin by documenting a series of facts on consumption and savings...

Empirical evidence suggests that it may cost time, effort, and resources to properly implement a saving plan, though such cost may differ across individual consumers. We document seven facts on macroeconomic consumption and saving over the life cycle, and we enrich a simple life-cycle model by...

This is a short survey on consumption theory. Consumption is important to both fluctuation and growth. In addition, consumption introduces some important issues involving financial markets and portfolio decisions. We will describe consumption decisions in a dynamic context. Uncertainty about...

Recent research has shown that the "spirit of capitalism"¡ªa preference for wealth itself, in addition to consumption¡ªhas important implications for growth and asset pricing. This paper explores how the spirit of capitalism affects saving and consumption behavior. We demonstrate that the...

This paper, using the different alternative methods of dynamic optimization - the Lagrange/Kuhn-Tucker (LKT) method, the substitution method, the Hamiltonian method, and the dynamic programming approach - derives the conditions that must be satisfied by the solution to the so-called Ramsey...

This paper, using the different alternative methods of dynamic optimization (the Lagrange/Kuhn-Tucker (LKT) method, the substitution method, the Hamiltonian method, and the dynamic programming approach) derives the conditions that must be satisfied by the solution to the so-called Ramsey...