A safe asset's real value is insulated from shocks, including declines in GDP from rare macroeconomic disasters. However, in a Lucas-tree world, the aggregate risk is given by the process for GDP and cannot be altered by the creation of safe assets. Therefore, in the equilibrium of a...

"A representative-consumer model with Epstein-Zin-Weil preferences and i.i.d. shocks, including rare disasters, accords with key asset-pricing observations. If the coefficient of relative risk aversion equals 3-4, the model accords with observed equity premia and risk-free real interest rates....

This paper analyzes optimal prevention in a situation of multiple, possibly correlated risks. We focus on probability reduction (self-protection) so that correlation becomes endogenous. If prevention concerns only one risk, introducing a second exogenous risk increases the level of prevention...

This paper studies the effect of increased risk aversion on self-insurance and self-protection in a two-period expected utility framework in which the risk-reducing investment precedes its effect. In contrast to monoperiodic models, self-insurance and self-protection react very similarly to an...

This paper studies the effect of increased risk aversion on self-insurance and self-protection in a two-period expected utility framework in which the risk-reducing investment precedes its effect. In contrast to monoperiodic models, self-insurance and self-protection react very similarly to an...