Reinforcement Learning and Savings Behavior

Andrew Metrick, David Laibson, James Choi and Brigitte Madrian

Scholarly Articles from Harvard University Department of Economics

Abstract: We show that individual investors over-extrapolate from their personal experience when making savings decisions. Investors who experience particularly rewarding outcomes from saving in their 401(k)—a high average and/or low variance return—increase their 401(k) savings rate more than investors who have less rewarding experiences with saving. This finding is not driven by aggregate time-series shocks, income effects, rational learning about investing skill, investor fixed effects, or time-varying investor-level heterogeneity that is correlated with portfolio allocations to stock, bond, and cash asset classes. We discuss implications for the equity premium puzzle and interventions aimed at improving household financial outcomes.

Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (108)

Published in Journal of Finance -New York-

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Related works:
Journal Article: Reinforcement Learning and Savings Behavior (2009)
Working Paper: Reinforcement Learning and Savings Behavior (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hrv:faseco:4686777

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