Optimal Public Debt with Life Cycle Motives William Peterman Erick - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Optimal Public Debt with Life Cycle Motives William Peterman Erick - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Optimal Public Debt with Life Cycle Motives William Peterman Erick Sager Federal Reserve Board Bureau of Labor Statistics QSPS May 20, 2016 **The views herein are the authors and not necessarily those of the BLS, US DOL, Board of


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SLIDE 1

Optimal Public Debt with Life Cycle Motives

William Peterman Erick Sager

Federal Reserve Board Bureau of Labor Statistics

QSPS May 20, 2016

**The views herein are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the BLS, US DOL, Board of Governors or their staffs.

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SLIDE 2

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Motivation

Q: What level of debt should the Government hold? Government Debt

  • Welfare Costs:
  • Crowds out capital ⇒ lower output
  • Financed by distortionary taxes
  • Welfare Benefits (financial liquidity):
  • ⇑ return to savings ⇒ reduces cost of holding precautionary savings

Aiyagari & McGrattan (1998)

  • Incomplete markets, infinitely lived
  • Optimal debt = 2

3 of output

  • Ignores life cycle
  • Agents transition through different phases of life cycle

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 1 / 66

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SLIDE 3

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

This Paper

Question: What is optimal level of gov’t debt in life cycle model? Effect of Life Cycle on Optimal Pubic Debt

  • Large effect on optimal public debt
  • Life cycle model: savings = 160% of output
  • Infinitely lived agent model: debt = 87% of output
  • Welfare of adopting misspecified optimal tax policy: CEV = 3.5%
  • Different policies due to different phases of life cycle

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 2 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Mechanism: Example (I)

Age

Accumulation Stationary Phase Decumulation Consumption Savings Hours

  • Life cycle all three phases; Infinitely lived only one phase
  • Changing prices has different effects

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 3 / 66

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SLIDE 5

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Mechanism: Example (II)

Affect of Gov’t Debt on Factor Prices:

  • Decreases Government Debt (increases Gov’t. savings)
  • Crowds in Productive Capital
  • Interest rate ⇓
  • Wage ⇑

Infinitely Lived Agent Model

  • Only stationary phase
  • Lower interest rate decreases liquidity

Life Cycle Model

  • Accumulation, Stationary, Decumulation Phases
  • Higher wage more accommodative during accumulation phase

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 4 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Literature

Effects of government debt with incomplete markets

  • 1. Steady State
  • Aiyagari & McGrattan (1998) - optimal debt large
  • Floden (2001) - if transfers below optimal then ⇑ gov’t debt
  • Dyrda & Pedroni (2015) - if taxes optimized then less debt optimal
  • Winter & Roehrs (2015) - skewed wealth leads to gov’t savings being
  • ptimal
  • 2. Transition
  • Dydra & Pedron (2015); Winter and Roehrs (2015); Desbonnet &

Weitzenblum (2012): Considerable welfare costs in transition Previous analysis of question done with infinitely lived agent model

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 5 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Outline

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Life cycle Model with Public Debt
  • 3. Calibration
  • 4. Results
  • 5. Conclusion

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 6 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Life cycle Model with Public Debt

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 7 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Overview of Model

  • General Equilibrium incomplete markets model
  • Overlapping generations of heterogenous agents
  • Idiosyncratic uninsurable shocks:
  • Agent’s labor productivity
  • Unemployment spells
  • Mortality
  • Labor is supplied elastically
  • Agents choose when to retire
  • Social Security and UI programs modeled similar to U.S.

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 8 / 66

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SLIDE 10

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Production

  • Representative Firm:
  • Large number of firms
  • Sell consumption good
  • Perfectly competitive product market
  • Technology:
  • Cobb-Douglas: Y = KζL1−ζ
  • No aggregate uncertainty
  • Resource Constraint: C + (K′ − (1 − δ)K) + G = Y

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 9 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Demographics

  • J overlapping generations
  • sj probability of living to j + 1 given one is alive in j
  • Remaining assets are accidental bequests (Trt).
  • If still alive agents die with certainty at age J
  • Agents retire at endogenously determined age (Jret), irreversible
  • Jret ∈ [Jret, Jret]
  • Population growth = gn

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 10 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Labor Earnings (I)

Earnings: yij = weijhij(1 − ¯ hij)

  • Labor productivity, eij
  • Choice of hours, hij ∈ [0, 1]
  • Unemployment shocks, ¯

hij Labor Productivity: log(eij) = θj + αi + ǫij + νij

  • Age-profile: {θj}

¯ Jret j=1

  • Idiosyncratic type: αi

iid

∼ N(0, σ2

α)

  • Transitory shock: ǫij

iid

∼ N(0, σ2

ǫ )

  • Persistent shock: νij+1 = ρνij + ηij+1

ηij+1

iid

∼ N(0, σ2

ν)

vi1 = 0

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 11 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Labor Earnings (II)

Earnings: yij = weijhij(1 − ¯ hij)

  • Labor productivity, eij
  • Choice of hours, hij ∈ [0, 1]
  • Unemployment shocks, ¯

hij Unemployment Shock: hi,j

  • Fraction of period unemployed
  • Either 0 or dj
  • Probability of non zero: pj
  • Probability and duration are age specific
  • Receive unemployment benefits
  • bui(weij)

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 12 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Asset Markets

Incomplete Asset Markets:

  • Incomplete w.r.t. idiosyncratic productivity risk, unemployment risk,

mortality risk

  • Agents save using non-contingent bond, a ≥ 0
  • Before tax rate of return, r

Market Clearing: A = K + B

  • Supply = Aggregate Savings
  • Demand = Productive Capital (K) + Gov’t Debt (B)

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 13 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Government Policy

Budget Constraint: G + UI + rB = (B′ − B) + Υy

  • 1. G: Consumes in an unproductive sector
  • 2. UI: Pays insurance when unemployed
  • 3. B: Borrows or saves at interest r
  • 4. Υy : Finances with progressive income taxation

Self Financing Programs:

  • 5. Runs Social Security Program
  • 6. Distributes accidental bequests

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 14 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Social Security

Overview:

  • Finances SS with a flat tax on labor income τ ss
  • Half payed by employer (up to cap)
  • Pays benefit bss

i

based on

  • Past income AIME: xi
  • Age of retirement: Jret

Detail Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 15 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Competitive Equilibrium

  • 1. Agents optimize utility s.t. budget constraint
  • 2. Prices set by marginal product of capital and labor
  • 3. Social Security budget clears
  • 4. General Government budget clears
  • 5. Capital and labor market clear
  • 6. Stationary distribution of individuals over state space
  • Accounting for GDP growth: g

Dynamic Programming Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 16 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Calibration

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 17 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Firm

Production: Y = KζN 1−ζ Notation Parameter Value Source Capital Share ζ .36 CKK Depreciation δ .0833

I Y = 25.5%

Growth g 0.02

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 18 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Demographics

  • Agents enter the model at age 20
  • sj - Bell and Miller (2002)
  • Remaining agents die with certainty age 100(J)
  • Population growth: gn = 1.1%

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 19 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Idiosyncratic Labor Productivity

Labor Productivity: log(eij) = θj + αi + νij + ǫij Notation Parameter Value Source Persistence Shock σ2

ν

0.017 Kaplan (2012) Persistence ρ 0.958 Kaplan (2012) Ability σ2

α

0.065 Kaplan (2012) Transitory Shock σ2

ǫ

0.081 Kaplan (2012) Age Profile {θj}

¯ Jret j=1

Kaplan (2012)

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 20 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Unemployment

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Age

Unemployment Rates and Duration by Age

(March CPS, 1990-2005)

Unemployment Rate (right axis) Average Unemployment Duration Weeks Pct Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 21 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Unemployment Insurance

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8

Weekly UI Benefit Replacement Rate (March CPS: 1990-2005)

Weekly Replacement Rate

Pct Pct

log(Weekly Earnings) Average log(Weekly Earnings)

  • Base Benefit: bui(we) = rr(we)we haverage h
  • Replacement rate: rr(we) = φui,0 ln(we)φui,1
  • bui ∈ [.13 × avg. earnings × h, 1.1 × avg. earnings × h]

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 22 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Preferences

Preferences: u(c) + v(h, h) = c1−γ

1−γ − χ1 ((1−h)ξh)1+ 1

σ

1+ 1

σ

− χ21(j < Jret) Notation Parameter Value Source Conditional Discount β 1.0

K Y = 2.7

Risk aversion γ 2.2 Kaplan (2012) Frisch Elasticity σ 0.41 Kaplan (2012) Utility during unemployment ξ Kaplan (2012) Disutility to Labor χ1 70.0

  • Avg. hj = 1

3

Fixed Cost to Working χ2 1.105 70% retire by Jnr

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 23 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Government

Income tax function: T( ˜ yt; τ0, τ1, τ2) = τ0( ˜ yt − ( ˜ yt

−τ1 + τ2)− 1

τ1 )

Notation Parameter Value Source

  • Avg. Tax

τ0 .258 Gouveia & Strauss (1994) Progressiveness τ1 .768 Gouveia & Strauss (1994) Progressiveness τ2 8.99 Balance budget Gov’t Consumption

G Y

15.5% Data Debt to GDP

B Y 2 3

Aiyagari & McGrattan (1998) UI φui,0 0.38 March CPS UI φui,1

  • 0.80

March CPS

Social Security Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 24 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Results

Outline:

  • 1. Illustrative Example
  • 2. Social Welfare Function
  • 3. Optimal Policy
  • 4. Welfare Effects
  • 5. Decompose Mechanisms
  • 6. Transfer Programs & Borrowing Constraints
  • 7. Sensitivity to Social Welfare Function

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 25 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Illustrative Example

Age

Accumulation Stationary Phase Decumulation Consumption Savings Hours

  • Infinitely lived: only stationary
  • Life cycle: three phases

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 26 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Accumulation Phase

Age

Accumulation Stationary Phase Decumulation Consumption Savings Hours

  • Accumulating assets
  • Labor income more important

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 27 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Stationary Phase

Age

Accumulation Stationary Phase Decumulation Consumption Savings Hours

  • May not exist (shorter) in life cycle model
  • Only phase in infinitely lived

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 28 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Effect of Government Debt

Comparative Static: Holding less debt

  • Less crowd-out → more productive capital
  • Higher wage, w = (1 − α)(K/L)α
  • Lower interest rate r = α(K/L)α−1 − δ
  • During accumulation phase:
  • Labor earnings is majority of income
  • Higher wage increases income
  • Life cycle only
  • During stationary phase:
  • Lower interest rate decreases interest income
  • Accumulate fewer total assets (less liquid)
  • Less emphasis in life cycle model

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 29 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Computational Experiment

Choose B to maximize social welfare function: S(v, λ) ≡ max

B

E0v0(a, ǫ, x; B) (1) Utilitarian SWF: maximizing expected utility of newborn

  • Adjust taxes to clear budgets
  • τss to satisfy Social Security budget
  • τ0 to clear government general budget (G held fixed)

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 30 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Experiment 1

Experiment 1: Optimal Policy

  • Compute optimal policy in life cycle model
  • Compute optimal policy in infinitely lived agent analogue

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 31 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Experiment 1: Optimal Policy

  • 200
  • 150
  • 100
  • 50

50 100 150 200 250

Government Savings (% of Output)

0.99 0.995 1 1.005Welfare (normalized to 1 at maximum) Life Cycle Infinitely Lived

Optimal Policy:

  • Life cycle - savings = 160% of output
  • Infinitely lived - debt = 87% of output

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 32 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Welfare Decomposition

Experiment 2: Welfare Decomposition

  • Consumption equivalence (CEV)
  • Optimal (160% savings) vs optimal from infinitely lived (87% debt)
  • Decompose into:
  • 1. Level effect: difference in aggregate consumption
  • 2. Insurance effect: difference in volatility of consumption paths
  • 3. Redistribution effect: difference in cross-sectional spread
  • 4. Labor effect: difference in consumption-labor substitution

Detail Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 33 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Welfare Decomposition

Welfare Decomposition, ex ante CEV (% Change) = 3.47 % Levels Effect = 5.62 % Insurance Effect =

  • 0.46 %

Redistribution Effect = 0.14 % Labor Disutility Effect =

  • 1.72 %
  • Optimal policy has strong positive Levels Effect
  • Optimal policy somewhat mitigated by labor disutility

Benchmark Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 34 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

20 40 60 80 100 −30 −20 −10 10 20 30 Welfare Decomposition by Age (Weighted) Age CEV Levels Insurance Redistribution Labor

Level Effect:

  • Higher wages → more consumption early
  • Lower r → less consumption later, work longer

Benchmark Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 35 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

The Effect on Life Cycle Profiles

20 40 60 80 100 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45

Age Hours Profile

Misspecified Optimal

20 40 60 80 100 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Age Savings Profile

Misspecified Optimal

20 40 60 80 100 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Age Consumption Profile

Misspecified Optimal

Optimal policy: More government savings, ↑ wage, ↓ r

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 36 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Experiment 3

Decompose the Effect of Life Cycle Features:

  • Sequentially remove life cycle features
  • 1. Age-varying aspects
  • 2. Demographics
  • 3. Endowment
  • Recalibrate each model
  • Calculate optimal policy

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 37 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Models

Less Less Less Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Eliminate Inf. Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Accum. Lived I II III IV V Retirement Yes No No No No No No

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 Infinite Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

  • Age-secific I
  • Demographics II-IV
  • Endowment V

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 38 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Optimal Policy (Age-specific)

Less Less Less Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Eliminate Inf. Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Accum. Lived I II III IV V Optimal (% of GDP) 160% 173% 287% 307% 360%

  • 100%
  • 87%

Retirement Yes No No No No No No

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 Infinite Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

⇑ optimal savings because work throughout whole life

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 39 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Life cycle Profiles

20 40 60 80 100 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

Age Labor Profiles

Benchmark (I) Less: Age−Specific

20 40 60 80 100 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Age Savings Profiles

Benchmark (I) Less: Age−Specific

Competing effects on optimal policy

  • Wage more important
  • Less building time

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 40 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Optimal Policy (Demographics II)

Less Less Less Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Eliminate Inf. Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Accum. Lived I II III IV V Optimal (% of GDP) 160% 173% 287% 307% 360%

  • 100%
  • 87%

Retirement Yes No No No No No No

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 Infinite Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

⇑ optimal savings because agents live to older age

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 41 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Savings Profiles

20 40 60 80 100 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Age Savings Profiles

(I) Less: Age−Specific (II) Less: Mortality

→ Removing mortality lengthens accumulation phase

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 42 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Optimal Policy (Demographics III)

Less Less Less Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Eliminate Inf. Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Accum. Lived I II III IV V Optimal (% of GDP) 160% 173% 287% 307% 360%

  • 100%
  • 87%

Retirement Yes No No No No No No

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 Infinite Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

⇑ optimal savings: more old agents affects aggregate dynamics

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 43 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Increased Population of Old

Elasticity of Private Savings wrt Government Savings Model II Model III

  • 0.923
  • 0.900
  • Young are more responsive to interest rates changes
  • Model III compared to II:
  • Fewer young agents
  • Government savings crowds out less private savings
  • Public saving is more productive
  • Government saves more

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 44 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Optimal Policy (Demographics IV)

Less Less Less Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Eliminate Inf. Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Accum. Lived I II III IV V Optimal (% of GDP) 160% 173% 287% 307% 360%

  • 100%
  • 87%

Retirement Yes No No No No No No

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 Infinite Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

⇑ optimal savings: extend building period

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 45 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Savings Profiles

100 200 300 400 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Age Savings Profiles

(III) Less: Population Growth (IV) Extended Life

→ Lengthens accumulation phase

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 46 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Optimal Policy (Endowment)

Less Less Less Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Eliminate Inf. Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Accum. Lived I II III IV V Optimal (% of GDP) 160% 173% 287% 307% 360%

  • 100%
  • 87%

Retirement Yes No No No No No No

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 Infinite Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

  • Eliminate building phase
  • Optimal to hold debt

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 47 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Takeaways

Why savings optimal in life cycle and debt in infinitely lived?

  • In infinitely lived no accumulation phase
  • Link between stationary phase (endowment) and gov’t savings/debt
  • Less gov’t savings increases agents liquidity
  • In life cycle agents experience an accumulation phase
  • More public savings increases wage
  • Particularly helpful during accumulation phase
  • Liquidity not affected until stationary phase

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 48 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Experiments 4 & 5

(4) Interactions With Government Transfers

  • Remove UI and solve for optimal
  • Remove Social Security and solve for optimal
  • Recalibrate each model
  • Very small effect on optimal debt

(5) Interaction With Borrowing Constraint

  • Allow for individual borrowing, ad hoc constraint
  • Optimal public savings increases from 160% to 220%
  • Precautionary savings less important when borrowing allowed

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 49 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Experiment 6

Social Welfare Criteria

  • We use ex ante Utilitarian social welfare function
  • Equivalent to welfare weight of 1 for newborn and 0 for others
  • What if put different weight on cohorts?

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 50 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Welfare weights

Allow for welfare weights on each generation {αj}J

j=20: J

  • j=20

αjE0[vj(aj, ǫj, xj)] =

J

  • j=20
  • j
  • t=20

αtβj−tµj

  • Ej[Uj(cj, hj, Jj)]
  • We assumed αj=20 = 1 and α = 0 for other j

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 51 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Illustrative example

What is relationship between cohorts’ weights and optimal policy? Assuming ˆ βjµj ∝ j

t=20 αtβj−tµj can rewrite:

S ˆ

β(v, λ) = max B J

  • j=20

ˆ βjµjEj

  • Uj
  • cj, hj, Jj; vj(· ; B)
  • | λj(· ; B)
  • Allows us to reweight each age’s stream
  • Demonstrates effect of different weights
  • Larger ˆ

β more weight on older generations

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 52 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Effect of Cohort Weights

0.99 1 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05

^

  • 150
  • 100
  • 50

50 100 150 200

Government Savings (% of Output)

Optimal Government Policy

  • ⇑ weights on older less savings (more debt) optimal
  • Putting more weight on ages after building phase

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 53 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Alternative Criteria

  • SWF=total expected future utility from population
  • αj = 1∀ j

J

  • j=20

αjE0[vj(aj, ǫj, xj)]

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 54 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Equally Weight Population

  • 200
  • 150
  • 100
  • 50

50 100 150 200 250

Government Savings (% of Output)

0.98 0.985 0.99 0.995 1 1.005 1.01Welfare (normalized to 1 at maximum) Utilitarian: Newborn Utilitarian: Current Population

  • Examine population average expected future utility
  • Optimal debt is 100% of GDP

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 55 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Conclusion

  • Optimal debt policy is different in life cycle model
  • Instead holding debt optimal for government to save
  • Facilitates accumulation phase
  • Stationary phase less important
  • Large welfare consequences to ignoring life cycle model
  • Overall conclusion not sensitive to gov’t transfers or agents allowed

some borrowing For optimal debt assuming infinitely lived for tractability has large economic consequences

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 56 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Thank you

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 57 / 66

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Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Optimal Policy (With Endowment Shock)

Less Less Less Hetero. Age- Mortality Pop. Extend Savings Savings Bench. Spec. Risk Growth Life Endow. Endow. I II III IV V VI Optimal (% of GDP) 160% 173% 287% 307% 360% 233% 273%

  • Soc. Sec

Yes No No No No No No Retirement Yes No No No No No No Age H.C. Yes No No No No No No Age Unemp Yes No No No No No No

  • Mort. Risk

Yes Yes No No No No No

  • Pop. Growth

Yes Yes Yes No No No No Life Length 81 81 81 81 400 400 400 Endowment Save Endow.

  • Avg. IV

Dist.

  • Idio. Shock

Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Hetero

Removing age-specific: competing effects

  • Exposed more periods to idiosyncratic shock
  • No need to accumulate for retirement

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 58 / 66

slide-60
SLIDE 60

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Social Security

Benefit Formula: bss = [Replacement Rate] x [Past Earnings(x)]

(1) Past earnings: x x′ =     

y+(j−1)x j

if j ≤ 35, max{x, y+(t−j)x

j

} if 35 < j < Jret, x if j ≥ Jret, (2) Replacement rate (piecewise linear)          τr1 for 0 ≤ xR < b1 τr2 for b1 ≤ xR < b2 τr3 for b2 ≤ xR < b3 for b3 ≤ xR, (3) Retirement Age Credits/Deductions (bss adjusted s.t.):

  • 64-66: 6.7% reduction per year
  • 62-63: 5% reduction per year
  • 67-70: 8% increase per year

Back Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 59 / 66

slide-61
SLIDE 61

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Dynamic Programming: Worker

vj(a, ǫ, x) = max

c,a′,h

  • u(c, h)] + βsj
  • ǫ′

πj(ǫ′|ǫ)vj+1(a′, ǫ′, x′) s.t.

c + a′ ≤ we(ǫ)h(1 − ¯ h) + (1 + r)(a + T r) − T (h, a, ǫ) + bui(we)¯ h a′ ≥ ε ≡ (θj, αi, νij, ǫij, ¯ hij)

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 60 / 66

slide-62
SLIDE 62

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Dynamic Programming: Could Retire

Agents could retire (j ∈ [Jret, Jret]) but have not:

vj(a, ǫ, x) = max

c,a′,h,1(j=Jret)

  • u(c, h)]+

βsj

  • ǫ′

πj(ǫ′|ǫ)(1(j < Jret)vj+1(a′, ǫ′, x′) + (1 − 1(j < Jret))vret

j+1(a′, x′))

s.t.

c + a′ ≤ (1 + r)(a + T r) − T (a) + bss(x) if j ≥ Jret c + a′ ≤ we(ǫ)h(1 − ¯ h) + (1 + r)(a + T r) − T (h, a, ǫ) + bui(we)¯ h else a′ ≥

Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 61 / 66

slide-63
SLIDE 63

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Dynamic Programming: Retired

vret

j

(a, x) = max

c,a′

u(c) + βsjvret

j+1(a′, x)

s.t.

c + a′ ≤ (1 + r)(a + Tr) − T(a) + bss(x) a′ ≥

Back Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 62 / 66

slide-64
SLIDE 64

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Social Security

Parameter Value Source κ1a Year 1 - 3 6.7% U.S. SS Program κ1b Year 4 & 5 5% U.S. SS Program κ2 8% U.S. SS Program b1 .21 x Avg Earnings Huggett and Parra (2010) b2 1.29 x Avg Earnings Huggett and Parra (2010) b3 2.42 x Avg Earnings Huggett and Parra (2010) τr1 90% U.S. SS Program τr2 32% U.S. SS Program τr3 15% U.S. SS Program τss 10.3% Mrkt Clearing jnr 66 Data Jret 62 U.S. SS Program Jret 70 U.S. SS Program

Back Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 63 / 66

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SLIDE 65

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Decomposition Details

Define Welfare: S = Sc + Sh ≡

  • E0

 

J

  • j=1

βj−1sju (cj)   dλ1 +

  • E0

 

J

  • j=1

βj−1sjϕ (hj)   dλ1 CEV Decomposition:

(1 + ∆CEV ) = (1 + ∆level) (1 + ∆insure) (1 + ∆distr) (1 + ∆hours) Sopt − Sh Sc

  • 1

1−σ

= Copt C ¯ Copt/ ¯ C Copt/C (Sopt

c

/Sc)

1 1−σ

¯ Copt/ ¯ C Sopt − Sh Sopt

c

  • 1

1−σ

where:

  • Consumption Equivalent: (1 + ∆CEV )1−σSc + Sh = Sopt
  • Labor Substitution Effect: (1 + ∆hours)1−σSopt

c

= Sopt

c

+ (Sopt

h

− Sh)

  • Certainty Equivalent: ¯

C =

j µj

  • ¯

c(a, ε, x)dλ1

Back Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 64 / 66

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SLIDE 66

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

Welfare Decomposition

Welfare Decomposition, ex ante CEV (% Change) = 2.33 % Levels Effect = 4.36 % Insurance Effect =

  • 0.47 %

Redistribution Effect = 0.11 % Labor Disutility Effect =

  • 1.59 %

Similar to misspecified

Back Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 65 / 66

slide-67
SLIDE 67

Intro Model Calibration Results Conclusion

20 40 60 80 100 −25 −20 −15 −10 −5 5 10 15 20 Welfare Decomposition by Age (Weighted) Age CEV Levels Insurance Redistribution Labor

Level Effect:

  • Higher wages → more consumption early
  • Lower r → less savings and consumption later

Back Peterman and Sager Optimal Debt 66 / 66