We examine asset prices in a representative-agent model of general equilibrium. Assuming only that individuals are risk … averse, we determine conditions on the changes in asset risk that are both necessary and sufficientfor the asset price to … incomplete in the sense of containing an uninsurable background risk, such as a risk on labor income. We extend our model to show …

facing uninsurable idiosyncratic labor income risk. The Ramsey government internalizes the general equilibrium feedback of … optimal aggregate saving rate is independent of income risk. The optimal time-invariant tax on capital is increasing in income … risk. Its sign depends on the extent of risk and on the Pareto weight of future generations. If the Ramsey tax rate that …

facing uninsurable idiosyncratic labor income risk. The Ramsey government internalizes the general equilibrium feedback of … optimal aggregate saving rate is independent of income risk. The optimal time-invariant tax on capital is increasing in income … risk. Its sign depends on the extent of risk and on the Pareto weight of future generations. If the Ramsey tax rate that …

productivity and aggregate business cycle risk. We show analytically that the whole welfare benefit from joint insurance against … both risks is greater than the sum of benefits from insurance against the isolated risk components. One reason is the … convexity of the welfare gain in total risk. The other reason is a direct risk interaction which amplifies the utility losses …

facing uninsurable idiosyncratic labor income risk. The Ramsey government internalizes the general equilibrium feedback of … optimal aggregate saving rate is independent of income risk. The optimal time-invariant tax on capital is increasing in income … risk. Its sign depends on the extent of risk and on the Pareto weight of future generations. If the Ramsey tax rate that …

facing uninsurable idiosyncratic labor income risk. The Ramsey government internalizes the general equilibrium feedback of … optimal aggregate saving rate is independent of income risk. The optimal time-invariant tax on capital is increasing in income … risk. Its sign depends on the extent of risk and on the Pareto weight of future generations. If the Ramsey tax rate that …