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1. A consumer lives for three periods, 0, 1, and 2. She derives utility from consumption in periods 1 and 2 (we are ignoring her
1. A consumer lives for three periods, 0, 1, and 2. She derives utility from consumption in periods 1 and 2 (we are ignoring her consumption in period 0 for the purposes of this problem). Her instantaneous utility from consuming a dollar amount ; in period 1is q, and her instantaneous utility from consuming , in period 2 is o. In each time period, she seeks to maximize the sum of the discounted utility of consumption in the two periods. The consumer is a naive hyperbolic discounter with = 0.5and d = 1. The consumer starts off with a wealth of $60 in period 0. She can keep her wealth in a checking account, in which case it earns no interest, and she arrives in period 1 with $60 in cash. Alternatively, she can put $10, $20, or $30 in a retirement account that earns 10 percent interest, to be withdrawn at period 2. (That is, if she puts $10 into the account in period 0, she gets back $11 in period 2, and so on.) If she puts money in her retirement account in period 0, that money cannot be withdrawn in period 1. Whatever dollar amount she has access to in period 1, she consumes in period 1 In addition to being able to put money in the retirement account in period 0, the consumer can borrow $10 on her credit card in period 1. If she decides to borrow the $10, she has to pay back $15 in period 2. You do not need to consider naivety/ sophistication in this question, focus on total utility, e.g. at period 0 her discounted utility looking forward is: U=[3-5-C1+[3-52-C2 (a) [10pts] At period 0, how much money does the consumer put in her retirement account? At period 0, does she plan to use her credit card in period 17 Show your work. (Hint: Calculate the total utility returns for each different retirement plan under the situation of not using the credit card, then do the same if she does use the credit card, which plan gives the highest total utility?). (b) [10pts] After making this investment decision, once she arrives in period 1 does the consumer borrow on her credit card in period 17 What is her actual consumption pattern ; and ;? Show your work. (c) [5pts] Given her actual consumption pattern determined in part (b), if she could commit, what is a different choice she could have made that would give her at least as much consumption in each period? (d) [5pts] Discuss how this question relates to the empirical findings of Laibson, Repetto, and Tobacman discussed at the end of Lecture 6
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