The paper characterizes first and second order tail behavior ofconvolutions of i.i.d. heavy tailed random variables with supporton the real line. The result is applied to the problem of riskdiversification in portfolio analysis and to the estimation of theparameter in a MA(1) model.

The stock market collapse led to political tensions between generations due to the fuzzy definition of the property rights over the pension funds’ wealth. The problem is best resolved by the introduction of generational accounts. Modern consumption and portfolio theory shows that the younger...

Portfolio risk is in an important way driven by 'abnormal' returns emanating from heavy tailed distributed asset returns. The theory of regular variation and extreme values provides a model for this feature of financial data. We first review this theory and subsequently study the problem of...

We characterize the investor’s optimal portfolio allocation subject to a budget constraint and a probabilistic VaR constraint in complete markets environments with a finite number of states. The set of feasible portfolios might no longer be connected or convex, while the number of local optima...

Since the early nineties, the Dutch tax system allows for a tax-favored form of risk free savings through employer-sponsored savings plans (ESSPs). Under some conditions and up to a certain amount, the contributions to this planare tax-deductible, and the returns as well as the withdrawals are...