This note considers the effect of changes in the well-being of U.S. residents owing to changes in the value of various financial assets. Ordinary least squares estimates reveal that equity market returns have a significant, and asymmetric, impact on well-being. This result is likely the result...

We propose a theoretical measure of income hedging demand and show that it affects asset prices. We focus on the value factor and first demonstrate that our demand estimates are correlated with the actual demands of retail and mutual fund investors. Then, we show that the aggregate HML demand...

Individual investors trade excessively, sell winners too soon, and overweight stocks with lottery features and low expected returns. This paper models a financial innovation to address these biases and improve individual investor performance. Individual investors pledge shares of stock to an...

An analysis of the Survey of Consumer Finance shows that wealthy investors have a higher return on their stocks than their poorer counterparts. Three key empirical facts emerge: (i) wealthy investors employ more productive search efforts, (ii) financial risk bearing and search efforts are...

I study how mutual funds invest in public U.S. firms where founding family members retain a significant portion of shares. I posit that informed funds exploit the opaque nature of family firms by holding large positions when they have good private signals about the firms. By studying actively...

The current study investigates the impact of substantial economic fluctuations on household portfolios and analyzes how the fluctuations influence households' propensities to meet the capital accumulation ratio threshold of 25%. The 1992 to 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances datasets were analyzed...

Individual investors trade excessively, sell winners too soon, and overweight stocks with lottery features and low expected returns. This paper proposes and models a financial innovation, called stock loan lotteries, that improves individual investor performance. An individual investor signs a...

Households tend to hold substantial amounts of non-financial assets in the form of inventory. Households can obtain significant financial returns from strategic shopping and optimally managing these inventories of consumer goods. In addition, they choose to maintain liquid savings – household...

Households tend to hold substantial amounts of non-financial assets in the form of inventory. Households can obtain significant financial returns from strategic shopping and optimally managing these inventories of consumer goods. In addition, they choose to maintain liquid savings - household...

This paper analyzes how individuals value the two main payout options of retirement wealth accrued in a pension plan: a lifelong income stream offered via an annuity or as a lumpsum. A better knowledge of the drivers behind the financial valuation of pension options contributes to the...