Earmarking Risk: Relational Investing and Portfolio Choice

Social Forces ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Hayes ◽  
Rourke O’Brien

Abstract Ordinary individuals are increasingly charged with making investment decisions not only for themselves but also for close others. A child’s college savings account and a spouse’s retirement savings are instances where investing has become unmistakably relational. In this paper, we posit a theory of relational investing that extends Zelizer’s relational perspective from the domain of transactions to that of financial risk-taking. Through two original survey experiments, we demonstrate that (1) individuals are less risky with dollars earmarked for others, (2) risk tolerance varies as a function of for whom the dollars are earmarked, and (3) labeling accounts for culturally significant life-stage events (such as retirement or college) also shapes risk tolerance. Because allocation decisions determine financial returns achieved by portfolios invested in the market, our framework and findings have important implications for understanding potential drivers of wealth inequality as well as for the study of culture and economic behavior.

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Reyers

Concerns regarding the adequacy of retirement savings have contributed to the move to encourage better savings behavior. One area of research focuses on understanding the profile of individuals who believe they are preparing adequately for retirement. The current study uses data from a national survey of South Africans to determine how confident workers are about their future retirement income adequacy, and whether behavioral characteristics play a role in their perception of retirement readiness. This study highlights the role that behavioral factors play in perceptions of retirement income adequacy in an African developing market context. In particular, financial risk tolerance, future time perspective, good financial behavior, and self-assessed financial knowledge are all found to be positively related to respondents’ retirement confidence.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026010792110321
Author(s):  
Antonella Somma ◽  
Rebecca Sergi ◽  
Chiara Pagliara ◽  
Clelia Di Serio ◽  
Andrea Fossati

To evaluate the effect of demographic variables, delay discounting and dysfunctional personality traits on financial risk tolerance (FRT), 281 community-dwelling adults were administered the Italian translations of the Risk-Tolerance Scale (RTS), Monetary Choice Questionnaire, Probability Discounting Questionnaire, and Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form (PID-5-SF) self-report questionnaires through an online platform. Hierarchical robust regression results showed that the linear combination of demographic variables (gender and active worker status), delay discounting measures and selected PID-5-SF trait scale scores (i.e., Attention Seeking and Risk Taking) explained roughly 39% of the RTS total score. As a whole, our findings underscore the role of demographic characteristics, dysfunctional personality traits and delay discounting in FRT expression. As a result, FRT is likely to represent the linear combination of several factors that should be assessed in order to understand FRT and prevent erroneous choices among lay investors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 536-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaista Wasiuzzaman ◽  
Siavash Edalat

Purpose – The vast amount of information available via online social networks (OSN) makes it a very good avenue for understanding human behavior. One of the human characteristics of interest to financial practitioners is an individual’s financial risk tolerance. The purpose of this paper is to look at the relationship between an individual’s OSN behavior and his/her financial risk tolerance. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses data collected from a sample of 220 university students and the backward variables selection ordinary least squares regression analysis technique to achieve its objective. Findings – The results of the study find that the frequency of logging on to social network sites indicates an individual who has higher financial risk tolerance. Additionally, the increasing use of social networks for social connection is found to be associated with lower financial risk tolerance. The results are mostly consistent when the sample is split based on prior financial knowledge. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study which documents the possibility of understanding an individual’s financial risk tolerance via his/her social network activity. This provides investment/financial consultants with more avenues for gathering information in order to understand their current or potential clients hence providing better services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 2748-2765
Author(s):  
Nidhi Jain ◽  
Bikrant Kesari

Objective: The Behavioral bias is the term that deals with the investors’ psychology about their investment decision with their investment expertise. Every individual is biased, according to standard economic theory by his behavior and experiences which are rational. Methods: This research seeks to segregate mutual fund holders into various groups (persons and professionals) based on Behavioral biases and then investigates whether these Behavioral biases are influencing the level of knowledge of investors and the financial risk tolerance of certain mutual funds. Statistical tools compare investors characteristics and analyse how Behavioral biases are associated. Results: The factors analysed are financial circumstance, Type of Investors, Asset class preference, Time Horizon and Purpose of Investment. The primary information was gathered from 250 Central India mutual fund investors dependent on Judgment sampling. CFA, Correlation, MANOVA and Regression. Conclusions: Findings shows the effect of the behavior bias has positive impact on mutual fund investor awareness and financial risk tolerance.


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 1329-1332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Faff ◽  
Terrence Hallahan ◽  
Michael McKenzie

2021 ◽  
Vol VI (I) ◽  
pp. 24-37
Author(s):  
Rehan Zeb ◽  
Naveed Hussain Shah ◽  
Muhammad Arif

The study examines the effect of family income (FI) and financial risk tolerance (FRT) on entrepreneurial intention in students of Universities of the Higher Education Sector located in district Swabi. This is an explanatory and co relational study carrying a sample size of 330 out of the total of all 501 students from public and private Universities in Swabi. Financial determinants are prominent aspects of the study contributing to entrepreneurial intention. The study has established the relationship between FI and FRT on EI of universities of the Higher Education Sector located in district Swabi. The study is a contribution to the rare work on the relationship between financial determinants and entrepreneurial intention. The study revealed that FI and FRT significantly affect EI, whereas the order of contribution of these determinants on EI are evident their coefficients are FRT and FI.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Humaira Asad ◽  
Iqra Toqeer ◽  
Khalid Mahmood

Purpose The authors design a theoretical perspective that explores how different phases of social mood influence financial risk tolerance (FRT) among investors. Risk is involved in almost all financial decision-making. For a better understanding of risk tolerance behavior, the role played by social mood cannot be ignored. This study aims to explore the linkage between social mood and FRT of investors in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative phenomenology as the guiding framework, 22 interviews were conducted to have a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of investors with at least 10 years of investment experience. Thematic analysis was done to analyze data. Audio-recording, bracketing, triangulation and member checking were done to ensure validity and reliability. Findings A theoretical model is developed using the six themes identified through thematic analysis. This model presents an in-depth analysis of the determinants of social mood, its multiple phases and its impact on risk tolerance behavior. Findings reveal that the level of financial literacy, experience and purpose of investment moderate the effect of social mood on FRT. Practical implications Investors can manage risk and increase their profits by controlling the effects of social mood. They can benefit from the market situation by taking more risk when the market is extremely low. The advisors can frame their advice in the light of the model. Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores investors’ risk tolerance in response to variations in social mood in the context of an emerging economy. The paper has contributed conceptually and methodologically. It uses phenomenology as the method and develops a theoretical model that describes how different types of investors adjust their risk tolerance in response to changes in their social mood.


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