We provide explicit solutions to life-cycle utility maximization problems simultaneously involving dynamic decisions on investments in stocks and bonds, consumption of perishable goods, and the rental and the ownership of residential real estate. House prices, stock prices, interest rates, and...

The paper constructs a model of optimal portfolio allocation that focuses on the role of housing as collateral, allows for house price risk, and assumes that altering the quantity of housing incurs an adjustment cost. Because of the adjustment cost, the current house value becomes a state...

To establish current savings behavior, one necessary measurement of retirement preparation is identifying the percentage of workers with employment-based retirement plans, as well as understanding the characteristics of workers with and without access to such programs. The findings from this...

After taking into account biases induced by infrequent trading and selection, it is unlikely that illiquid asset classes have higher risk-adjusted returns than traditional liquid stock and bond markets. On the other hand, there are significant illiquidity premiums within asset classes. Portfolio...

We show that preferred investment styles can be determined by the big five personality traits. Using this result, we build a tool that recommends investment styles. The resulting recommendations are significantly higher rated than random recommendations.We collected detailed personality traits...

The most recent financial crisis highlights the importance of event risks and the ensuing market illiquidity and worsening investment opportunity set for optimal portfolio selection. However, the existing portfolio selection literature does not consider the joint impact of these risks. In this...

Target-date funds (TDFs) are an important and growing investment option in 401(k) retirement plans, and are giving rise to a new class of 401(k) investor: “mixed” target-date fund users who hold the funds in combination with other non-TDF funds in the plan menu. Although “pure” TDF users...

In a calibrated consumption-portfolio model with stock, housing, and labor income predictability, we evaluate the welfare effects of predictability on life-cycle consumption-portfolio choice. We compare skilled investors who are able to take advantage of all sources of predictability with...

The stock market participation rate among homeowners is twice as high as among renters. This paper builds a life-cycle portfolio choice model with endogenous housing tenure choice. A stylized form of preference heterogeneity generates a substantial difference in participation rates. A majority...

Home owners are about twice as likely as renters to participate in the stock market, both in the USA and Sweden. This paper sets up a life-cycle portfolio choice model which generates this pattern of limited stock market participation. Calibrated to Swedish data, the model generates the stock...