Who Should Buy Long-Term Bonds?

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2001
Volume: 91
Issue: 1
Pages: 99-127

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

According to conventional wisdom, long-term bonds are appropriate for conservative long-term investors. This paper develops a model of optimal consumption and portfolio choice for infinite-lived investors with recursive utility who face stochastic interest rates, solves the model using an approximate analytical method, and evaluates conventional wisdom. As risk aversion increases, the myopic component of risky asset demand disappears but the intertemporal hedging component does not. Conservative investors hold assets to hedge the risk that real interest rates will decline. Long-term inflation-indexed bonds are most suitable for this purpose, but nominal bonds may also be used if inflation risk is low.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:91:y:2001:i:1:p:99-127
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25