Why Does The Law Of One Price Fail? An Experiment On Index Mutual Funds,
2010
Yale University
Why Does The Law Of One Price Fail? An Experiment On Index Mutual Funds, James J. Choi, Xavier Gabaix, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian
Faculty Publications
Experimental subjects review four S&P 500 index fund prospectuses and then allocate $10,000 across those funds. We randomly select subjects to be paid for their subsequent portfolio performance. Subjects cannot access any non-portfolio services such as financial advice from their selected funds. Nevertheless, they overwhelmingly fail to minimize their index fund fees. When we make fund fees salient and transparent, subjects’ portfolios shift towards lower-fee index funds, but over 80% still do not invest all of their money in the lowest-fee fund. When funds’ annualized returns since inception are made salient, portfolios shift towards index funds with higher returns since …
Public Policy And Saving For Retirement: The “Autosave” Features Of The Pension Protection Act Of 2006,
2010
Harvard University
Public Policy And Saving For Retirement: The “Autosave” Features Of The Pension Protection Act Of 2006, John Beshears, James Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Brian Weller
Faculty Publications
On August 17, 2006, President Bush signed the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) into law, following its passage by both houses of Congress in a strong showing of bipartisan support.1 This law, heralded by some as the most sweeping piece of pension reform legislation since the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), contains many different pension reform provisions.2 In this paper, we focus on a subset of measures within the PPA adopted specifically to promote better savings outcomes in defined contribution savings plans.
The Regulation Of Consumer Financial Products: An Introductory Essay With A Case Study On Payday Lending,
2010
Harvard University
The Regulation Of Consumer Financial Products: An Introductory Essay With A Case Study On Payday Lending, John Y. Campbell, Howell E. Jackson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Peter Tufano
Faculty Publications
The recent financial crisis has led many to question how well businesses deliver consumer financial services and how well regulatory institutions address problems in consumer financial markets. In response, the Obama administration has proposed creating a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Other regulatory reforms have been advanced, and in some cases adopted, in recent years, at both the federal and state level. In this paper, we provide an overview of consumer financial markets, detailing the purposes they serve, the extent to which they suffer from market failures or other deficiencies, and how they are currently regulated. To illustrate our analytical …
The Impact Of 401(K) Loans On Saving,
2010
Stanford University
The Impact Of 401(K) Loans On Saving, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian
Faculty Publications
Although the popular press and politicians often describe 401(k) loans as a problem, classical economic theory has a more benign view. Loans from a 401(k) can relax liquidity constraints and increase household utility. Moreover, loan provisions may have the subtle effect of raising net asset accumulation by making 401(k) participation more appealing: employees who can access their 401(k) assets if they need them may be willing to put more money into an otherwise illiquid 401(k) account. Our research suggests that 401(k) loans are neither a blessing nor a bogeyman. Conditional on borrowing to finance consumption, we show that a 401(k) …
The Regulation Of Consumer Financial Products: An Introductory Essay With Four Case Studies,
2010
Harvard University
The Regulation Of Consumer Financial Products: An Introductory Essay With Four Case Studies, John Y. Campbell, Howell E. Jackson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Peter Tufano
Faculty Publications
The recent financial crisis has led many to question how well businesses deliver consumer financial services and how well regulatory institutions address problems in consumer financial markets. In response, the Obama administration proposed a new agency to oversee consumer financial services, and the recently enacted Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act embraced the Administration’s proposal by creating the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Other regulatory reforms have been advanced, and in some cases adopted, in recent years, at both the federal and state level. In this paper, we provide an overview of consumer financial markets, detailing the purposes …
Asset Allocation For Retirement: Simple Heuristics And Target-Date Funds,
2010
Butler University
Asset Allocation For Retirement: Simple Heuristics And Target-Date Funds, Steven D. Dolvin, William K. Templeton, William Rieber
Scholarship and Professional Work - Business
We examine common asset allocation strategies for retirement investing, considering both static and dynamic approaches, as well as those allocation policies used by leading target-date fund providers. We studied the average performance of each strategy over historical rolling periods (that is, bootstrapping), using actual annual returns starting in 1926. Then we applied the simulation method to review potential future results, as well as to provide additional insight into the structure and characteristics of each approach. We find that, over time, certain static approaches are essentially equivalent to dynamic strategies that reduce equity exposure through time. Further, we find that most …
Essays On Corporate Governance,
2010
University of Central Florida
Essays On Corporate Governance, Tih Koon Tan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation is composed by two essays that explore corporate governance issues in S&P firms. The first essay examines changes in corporate governance after a firm gets added to the S&P 500 index? Using firms added from 1994 to 2007, this paper examines how governance mechanisms change for these firms. Specifically, I look at both the overall governance and details on how each mechanism changes. I find that governance improves after being added to the index. Controlling for firm size, leverage, prior firm performance, and growth opportunities, the market reacts positively to governance improvements as a whole. In addition, changes …
Two Essays On Bidding In Multi-Unit Common Value Auctions,
2010
University of Central Florida
Two Essays On Bidding In Multi-Unit Common Value Auctions, Minjie Shao
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation consists of two essays on the topic of bidding in multi-unit common value auction. Essay one examines the role of capacity constraint on the auction results and bidding behavior. We consider a general case where bidders are unconstrained, and a second setting where bidders are capacity constrained. We document downward sloping demand curves for individual bidders. Bidders shade their bids by submitting quantity-price pairs and spreading their bids. The winner's curse is strong in the unconstrained treatment, but we find no evidence of the winner's curse when bidding constraints are imposed. Unconstrained bidders shade bids significantly more and …
Airline Bankruptcy: The Determining Factors Leading To An Airline's Decline,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
Airline Bankruptcy: The Determining Factors Leading To An Airline's Decline, Jason Tolkin
CMC Senior Theses
The purpose of this study was to determine what the critical factors are to an airline’s financial turmoil, leading ultimately to a bankruptcy filing. Over the past decade, the airline industries’ performance has been dismal, leading to 20 bankruptcy filings. As competition increases, it is crucial for airlines to know which core business areas are essential to success. This paper identifies 8 specific industry metrics that are used to compare airlines, revealing where certain airlines falter and others shine. Some of these metrics are later applied to a case study examining Trans World Airlines (TWA) and American Airlines (AA), highlighting …
Determinants Of Implied Volatility Movements In Individual Equity Options,
2010
University of Texas at Arlington
Determinants Of Implied Volatility Movements In Individual Equity Options, Christopher G. Angelo
Finance and Real Estate Dissertations - Archive
In this study, I introduce a parsimonious model that explains implied volatility time series for individual stock options. The current state of risk management for individual equity options still seems to lack the presence of pertinent exogenous variables. This study suggests a few easily observable variables that can be used to explain the changes in implied volatilities of stock options. These variables can be used in the risk models in order to more accurately manage option positions for individual stocks. The first chapter provides a motivation for the VIX as the primary explanatory variable for changes in implied volatility. It …
The Effect Of Age Upon Ceo Compensation: A Cross-Industry Study,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
The Effect Of Age Upon Ceo Compensation: A Cross-Industry Study, Anthony Bouvier
CMC Senior Theses
The compensation of CEO’s has been at the forefront of the public’s mind for the past few years. During the recession, one could not go a day without hearing about the atrocious salaries and bonuses that executives were being paid. Although it only recently became an explosive topic, academics have been researching all aspects of compensation for many years. One of the earliest looked at the idea of pay for performance (Jensen and Murphy 1990), and the field has taken off from there. Many studies have been done on the determinants of compensation, and I was interested in how age …
Do Investors View Excess Capacity As A Determinant Of Mergers And Acquisitions In The Pharmaceutical And Biotechnology Industry?,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
Do Investors View Excess Capacity As A Determinant Of Mergers And Acquisitions In The Pharmaceutical And Biotechnology Industry?, Jennifer M. Volk
CMC Senior Theses
I examine investors’ reaction to the announcement of mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry from 2002 to 2008. Over this period, investors anticipate the announcements, as demonstrated by the fact that the cumulative abnormal returns are not statistically significant. In addition, I test to determine the effect of excess capacity on investors’ reactions. From 2002 to 2004, investors do not recognize acquisitions as a response to excess capacity, as the excess capacity measures utilized have no effect on the size of the cumulative abnormal return. From 2005 to 2008, however, excess capacity measures have a positive effect …
Diversification Premium On Indian Adrs During The Financial Crisis,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
Diversification Premium On Indian Adrs During The Financial Crisis, Rajat Gupta
CMC Senior Theses
Non-arbitrage asset pricing has been an avenue of unending interest to financial academics and practitioners alike. With increased capital outflow being permitted by developing economies, investors now have easy access to securities issued by foreign firms. The issue investigated in this research is concerned with the persistent presence of arbitrage opportunities between depository receipts and domestic stocks of Indian firms during the recent financial crisis. Instead of being priced in parity with one another during the crisis, ADRs of Indian firms were overpriced by as much as 70% for months on end. This thesis investigates the reasons giving rise to …
Private Equity Transaction Bankruptcy Risk Prediction,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
Private Equity Transaction Bankruptcy Risk Prediction, Lewis A. Corson
CMC Senior Theses
This study utilizes a sample of private equity backed acquisitions to test whether certain factors, evaluated and quantified on the date of transaction completion, serve as indicators of future transaction bankruptcy. The results of this paper suggest that the effective federal funds rate is significantly and positively correlated with the bankruptcy of private equity backed transactions. Other measured factors specific to the private equity sponsor, the target firm in the acquisition and the characteristics of the transaction are found to be insignificant. Analysis on the influence of these factors is performed using two types of binary-response models, which predict the …
Factors Affecting The Forecasting Ability Of Implied Correlation In Currency Options,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
Factors Affecting The Forecasting Ability Of Implied Correlation In Currency Options, Justin S. Eskind
CMC Senior Theses
Little research has been done into implied correlations, and the small literature grows even smaller when referring to currency options. The existing literature has established that implied correlation is a good if not the best forecaster of future realized correlation, and that this ability to forecast is not necessarily universal. This paper will establish that the forecasting ability of implied correlations in currency options varies across currency pairs, thus proving that not all implied correlations are created equal. Using two different proxies for the quality of the forecaster, the paper attempts to explain which characteristics of an option on a …
The Impact Of Ceo Compensation On Firm Performance In The Oil Industry,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
The Impact Of Ceo Compensation On Firm Performance In The Oil Industry, Christophe M. Bindert
CMC Senior Theses
Critics often cite poor executive compensation schemes as one of the leading causes of the recent credit crisis. This paper investigates whether compensation structures at the end of the 2006 fiscal year created incentives for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in the oil industry to take on excessive risk, which subsequently may have lead to weaker firm performance during the crisis. I find no evidence to support the argument that higher pay sensitivity through option and other incentive awards lead to worse firm performance. In fact, results do not provide any evidence that company performance during the crisis was related to …
The Secondary Market For Gift Cards And The Role Of Corporate Bankruptcy Risk,
2010
Claremont McKenna College
The Secondary Market For Gift Cards And The Role Of Corporate Bankruptcy Risk, Kaitlyn A. Desai
CMC Senior Theses
The website, Plastic Jungle, is taking advantage of the rapidly growing gift card phenomena by creating a secondary market that enables consumers to buy, sell, and exchange gift cards online at a discount. This paper examines the relationship between this secondary gift card market and the corporate bankruptcy risk of companies with gift cards listed on the market. When a company issues a gift card, the card is unsecured debt and the cardholder becomes an unsecured creditor to the company. This paper investigates whether the cardholder acts similarly to other unsecured creditors or as someone who is merely holding another …
Comparative Analysis Of The Financial Performance Of Nonprofit Organizations: Focusing On The Franklin County Senior Activity Center,
2010
University of Kentucky
Comparative Analysis Of The Financial Performance Of Nonprofit Organizations: Focusing On The Franklin County Senior Activity Center, Shinwoo Lee
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
The Franklin County Senior Activity Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1966 to provide services to help older residents lead independent lives. Cooperating with twelve board members, a staff of 24 people operates the Center and makes huge efforts to accomplish its mission. The mission of the Center is to contribute to and empower the quality of life of the aging citizens in Frankfort and Franklin County, Kentucky. The Center delivers various public services to them including opportunities for socialization, health promotion, benefit counseling, transportation service, home care service, recreation and exercise programs, adult day care, caregiver support, and …
A Study Of The Effects Of Budget-Balancing Practices And Fiscal Policies On State Fiscal Health,
2010
University of Kentucky
A Study Of The Effects Of Budget-Balancing Practices And Fiscal Policies On State Fiscal Health, Candice Schultheis
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
During times of economic recessions, many states throughout the U.S. may experience budget pressures that impact their overall fiscal health. Kentucky, in particular, has been faced with structural budget imbalances, declining revenue receipts, and spending reductions. Although economic conditions greatly affect states’ abilities to maintain balanced budgets, other factors may contribute to the variation among states’ financial conditions. This study assesses the effect that budget-balancing strategies, processes, and policies have on states’ fiscal health, as measured by state fiscal peril scores reported by the Pew Center on the States and year-end budget balances as a percentage of expenditures estimated by …
Deposit Insurance Coverage, Ownership, And Banks' Risk-Taking In Emerging Markets,
2010
Milken Institute
Deposit Insurance Coverage, Ownership, And Banks' Risk-Taking In Emerging Markets, Apanard P. Angkinand, Clas Wihlborg
Business Faculty Articles and Research
We ask how deposit insurance systems and ownership of banks affect the degree of market discipline on banks' risk-taking. Market discipline is determined by the extent of explicit deposit insurance, as well as by the credibility of non-insurance of groups of depositors and other creditors. Furthermore, market discipline depends on the ownership structure of banks and the responsiveness of bank managers to market incentives. An expected U-shaped relationship between explicit deposit insurance coverage and banks' risk-taking is influenced by country specific institutional factors, including bank ownership. We analyze specifically how government ownership, foreign ownership and shareholder rights affect the disciplinary …
