Inattention, wealth inequality and equilibrium asset prices

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Monetary Economics
Year: 2011
Volume: 58
Issue: 2
Pages: 146-155

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

Heterogeneity in planning propensity affects wealth inequality and asset prices. This paper presents an economy where attentive agents plan their consumption period by period, while inattentive agents plan every other period. Inattentive consumers face more uncertainty and trade at unfavorable prices. If the only source of uncertainty is future income, inattentive consumers accumulate more wealth. In contrast, with uncertain asset returns inattentive investors accumulate less wealth. Asset prices must induce attentive consumers to voluntarily bear the burden of adjusting to aggregate shocks and, as a result, are much more volatile than in a representative agent model with full attention.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:moneco:v:58:y:2011:i:2:p:146-155
Journal Field
Macro
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25