Personal Investing: Advice, Theory, and Evidence from a Survey of Tiaa-Cref Participants

30 Pages Posted: 19 Jun 1997

See all articles by Zvi Bodie

Zvi Bodie

Boston University

Dwight B. Crane

Harvard Business School - Finance Unit

Date Written: May 28, 1997

Abstract

This paper examines individual asset-allocation behavior using data from a unique survey containing information on the composition of the respondents' total asset holdings both inside and outside of their retirement accounts. We find that individual asset allocations are consistent with the recommendations of expert practitioners and with the prescriptions of economic theory. The survey respondents maintain in cash and near-cash investments a proportion of their wealth that declines as wealth increases. They hold these safe assets outside of their retirement accounts. The proportion of total assets that they hold in equities declines with age and rises with wealth. However, respondents do not appear to manage their assets across retirement and non-retirement accounts to maximize tax efficiency.

JEL Classification: D91

Suggested Citation

Bodie, Zvi and Crane, Dwight B., Personal Investing: Advice, Theory, and Evidence from a Survey of Tiaa-Cref Participants (May 28, 1997). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=36158 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.36158

Zvi Bodie (Contact Author)

Boston University ( email )

12 Salisbury Road
Brookline, MA
United States
617 306 5556 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.zvibodie.com

Dwight B. Crane

Harvard Business School - Finance Unit ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6679 (Phone)
617-495-8103 (Fax)

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