Health and portfolio choices: A diffidence approach

David Crainich, Louis Eeckhoudt and Olivier Le Courtois

European Journal of Operational Research, 2017, vol. 259, issue 1, 273-279

Abstract: The effect of health status on portfolio decisions has been extensively studied from an empirical viewpoint. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model of individuals’ choice of financial assets under bivariate utility functions depending on wealth and health. Our approach makes an extensive use of the diffidence theorem. We establish the conditions under which the share of wealth held in risky assets falls as: (1) individuals’ health status deteriorates and; (2) individuals’ health status becomes risky. These conditions are shown to be related to the behavior of the intensities of correlation aversion and of cross prudence as wealth increases.

Keywords: Health; Portfolio choices; Diffidence theorem; Correlation aversion; Cross Prudence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ejores:v:259:y:2017:i:1:p:273-279

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2016.10.022

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