Using a stochastic life cycle model with endogenous financial knowledge accumulation, we show that financial knowledge is a key determinant of wealth inequality. The mechanism we posit is that financial knowledge enables individuals to better allocate re- sources over their lifetimes in a world...

We study whether and how time preferences change over the life cycle, exploiting representative long-term panel data. In order to disentangle age effects from cohort and period factors, we estimate individual fixed-effects models, substituting period effects with period specific determinants of...

We study whether and how time preferences change over the life cycle, exploiting representative long-term panel data. We estimate the age patterns of discount rates from age 25 to 80. In order to identify age effects, we have to disentangle them from cohort and period factors. We address this...

Who is most likely to change their risk preferences over the lifecourse? Using German nationally representative survey data and methods to separate age from cohort effects, we estimate the lifecycle patterns in the socioeconomic gradient of self-reported risk preferences. Tolerance to risk drops...

Who is most likely to change their risk preferences over the lifecourse? Using German nationally representative survey data and methods to separate age from cohort effects, we estimate the lifecycle patterns in the socioeconomic gradient of self-reported risk preferences. Tolerance to risk drops...

This paper explores the problem of an agent who invests in financial assets, works and/or accumulates human capital, and retires at the end of time horizon. His/her initial endowments consist of an amount of liquid assets (maybe because of inheritance) and a number of units of human...

In this paper, we apply the life-cycle framework to study saving accumulation and de-cumulation among ethnic minorities in the UK. Our findings reflect large variations between ethnic groups in terms of socio-economic characteristics and saving accumulation during the working life as well as in...

Who is most likely to change their risk preferences over the lifecourse? Using German nationally representative survey data and methods to separate age from cohort effects, we estimate the lifecycle patterns in the socioeconomic gradient of self-reported risk preferences. Tolerance to risk drops...

This paper suggests a solution to what has become known as the private equity premium puzzle (Moskowitz and Vissing-Jorgensen (2002)). We interpret occupational choice as a dynamic portfolio choice problem of a life-cycle investor facing a liquidity constraint and imperfect information about the...

This paper uses a structural model to address the question of why home-owners with large mortgage debt work longer hours than those without such debt. We consider whether this is due to lower net wealth or to capital market imperfections, including mortgage constraints that depend on current...