Several models of economic behavior currently compete for an explanation of individual wealth accumulation and savings patterns. In this paper we focus in particular upon the role of income uncertainty, and the role played by a retirement period, during which time expected earnings are zero. We...

Several models of economic behavior currently compete for an explanation of individual wealth accumulation and savings patterns. In this paper we focus in particular upon the role of income uncertainty, and the role played by a retirement period, during which time expected earnings are zero. We...

It is well known that an uncertain income stream will induce individuals to save if they are forward looking. In this paper we investigate the consequences of such saving upon the distribution of wealth among households. The inquiry is motivated by the fact that both the dispersion of the U.S....

Smokers not only choose the number of cigarettes to smoke in any given period on the basis of price, they also choose the intensity with which to smoke - that is, how much nicotine to inhale. The possibility that quantity-reducing tax policies may be mitigated, or even completely offset, by...