A Simple Lifecycle Strategy that Requires No Rebalancing

Seminar in Insurance and Economics

SPEAKER: Gaurav Khemka (Australian National University).

TITLE: A Simple Lifecycle Strategy that Requires No Rebalancing.

ABSTRACT: We propose a simple lifecycle strategy entailing contributions made during accumulation being invested entirely into a risky portfolio until pre-specified ‘switch age’ and then entirely into a risk-free portfolio after the switch age, followed by withdrawing during decumulation from both portfolios based on annuitization rates that vary with age according to remaining life expectancy. First, we show analytically that the strategy is optimal for range of investors with HARA risk preferences, and derive the dynamics of the investment strategy. Second, we show numerically that the proposed strategy delivers limited loss of utility versus an optimal solution for investors with CRRA preferences and low risk aversion, while significantly outperforming strategies commonly used in practice. The proposed strategy offers an attractive alternative for use in practical settings as it is simple to follow and removes the need for portfolio rebalancing.

Link to Seminar in Insurance and Economics.