Additive habit formation: Consumption in incomplete markets with random endowments

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Abstract

We provide a detailed characterization of the optimal consumption stream for the additive habit-forming utility maximization problem, in a framework of general discrete-time incomplete markets and random endowments. This characterization allows us to derive the monotonicity and concavity of the optimal consumption as a function of wealth, for several important classes of incomplete markets and preferences. These results yield a deeper understanding of the fine structure of the optimal consumption and provide a further theoretical support for the classical conjectures of Keynes (The general theory of employment, interest and money. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1936).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)67-99
Number of pages33
JournalMathematics and Financial Economics
Volume5
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Consumption
  • Habit formation
  • Incomplete markets
  • Random endowments
  • Utility maximization

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