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Discounting and Divergence of Opinion

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  • Elyès Jouini

    (CEREMADE - CEntre de REcherches en MAthématiques de la DEcision - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Jean-Michel Marin

    (SELECT - Model selection in statistical learning - LMO - Laboratoire de Mathématiques d'Orsay - UP11 - Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Inria Saclay - Ile de France - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique, CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Clotilde Napp

    (CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to adopt a general equilibrium model and determine the socially efficient discount factor, risk free rate and discount rate when there are heterogeneous anticipations about the growth of the economy as well as heterogeneous time preference rates. Among others we tackle the following questions. Is the socially efficient discount factor an arithmetic average of the individual subjectively anticipated discount factors? More generally, can the Arrow-Debreu prices, the risk free rates, the subjectively expected socially efficient discount factors and discount rates be obtained as an average of the individual subjectively anticipated ones? Can beliefs dispersion be analyzed as a sort of additional risk or uncertainty leading to possibly lower discount rates? Is it socially efficient, when diversity of opinion is taken into account, to reduce the discount rate per year for more distant horizons? If so, what is the trajectory of the decline?

Suggested Citation

  • Elyès Jouini & Jean-Michel Marin & Clotilde Napp, 2010. "Discounting and Divergence of Opinion," Post-Print halshs-00176636, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00176636
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00176636v3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    discount rate; risk free rate;

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