Should the Social Security Trust Fund Hold Equities

B-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Dynamics
Year: 1999
Volume: 2
Issue: 3
Pages: 666-697

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

In a stochastic economy with overlapping generations, fiscal policy affects the allocation of aggregate risks. The paper shows how to compute the welfare effects of marginal policy changes that shift risk across cohorts, in general and for an application to social security equity investments. I estimate the relevant correlations between macroeconomic shocks and equity returns from 1874-1996 U.S. data, calibrate the model, and find positive welfare effects for equity investments. Since stock returns are positively correlated with social security's wage-indexed benefit obligations, equity investments would also help to stabilize the payroll tax rate. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:red:issued:v:2:y:1999:i:3:p:666-697
Journal Field
Macro
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-24