Consumption Uncertainty and Precautionary Saving

A-Tier
Journal: Review of Economics and Statistics
Year: 2020
Volume: 102
Issue: 1
Pages: 148-161

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

Using survey data from a representative sample of Dutch households, we estimate the strength of precautionary saving by eliciting subjective expectations on future consumption. Expected consumption risk is positively correlated with self-employment and income risk and negatively with age. We insert these subjective expectations (rather than consumption realizations, as in the existing literature) in an Euler equation for consumption and estimate the degree of prudence by associating expected consumption risk with expected consumption growth. Robust OLS and IV estimates indicate a coefficient of relative prudence of around 2. We obtain similar results via partial identification methods using weak assumptions.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:tpr:restat:v:102:y:2020:i:1:p:148-161
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25