The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan

Asset accumulation in later life is a pressing issue in Japan due to the growing gap between life expectancy (87.14 years for women, 81.09 years for men in 2023) and the retirement age (65 or less). This gap heightens financial insecurity, emphasizing the need to meet asset goals by 65. Hyperbolic d...

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Main Authors: Honoka Nabeshima, Sumeet Lal, Haruka Izumi, Yuzuha Himeno, Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan, Yoshihiko Kadoya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Risks
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9091/13/1/8
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author Honoka Nabeshima
Sumeet Lal
Haruka Izumi
Yuzuha Himeno
Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan
Yoshihiko Kadoya
author_facet Honoka Nabeshima
Sumeet Lal
Haruka Izumi
Yuzuha Himeno
Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan
Yoshihiko Kadoya
author_sort Honoka Nabeshima
collection DOAJ
description Asset accumulation in later life is a pressing issue in Japan due to the growing gap between life expectancy (87.14 years for women, 81.09 years for men in 2023) and the retirement age (65 or less). This gap heightens financial insecurity, emphasizing the need to meet asset goals by 65. Hyperbolic discounting, driven by present-biased preferences, often hinders this process, but empirical evidence for those aged 65 and older remains limited. Moreover, prior research has overlooked the varying impacts of hyperbolic discounting across different wealth levels. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing data from 6709 active Japanese investors aged over 65 (2023 wave) using probit regression. Wealth thresholds are categorized into four levels: JPY 20 million, JPY 30 million, JPY 50 million, and JPY 100 million. The results show that hyperbolic discounting significantly impairs asset accumulation at the JPY 100 million level but not at lower thresholds. This effect likely reflects the complex nature of hyperbolic discounting, which primarily affects long-term savings and investments. The findings underscore the importance of addressing hyperbolic discounting in later-life financial planning. Recommendations include implementing automatic savings plans, enhancing financial literacy, and incorporating behavioral insights into planning tools to support better asset accumulation outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-49034e0837ec4cee8d244e17674e9c652025-01-24T13:48:19ZengMDPI AGRisks2227-90912025-01-01131810.3390/risks13010008The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in JapanHonoka Nabeshima0Sumeet Lal1Haruka Izumi2Yuzuha Himeno3Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan4Yoshihiko Kadoya5School of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8525, JapanSchool of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8525, JapanSchool of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8525, JapanSchool of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8525, JapanSchool of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8525, JapanSchool of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8525, JapanAsset accumulation in later life is a pressing issue in Japan due to the growing gap between life expectancy (87.14 years for women, 81.09 years for men in 2023) and the retirement age (65 or less). This gap heightens financial insecurity, emphasizing the need to meet asset goals by 65. Hyperbolic discounting, driven by present-biased preferences, often hinders this process, but empirical evidence for those aged 65 and older remains limited. Moreover, prior research has overlooked the varying impacts of hyperbolic discounting across different wealth levels. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing data from 6709 active Japanese investors aged over 65 (2023 wave) using probit regression. Wealth thresholds are categorized into four levels: JPY 20 million, JPY 30 million, JPY 50 million, and JPY 100 million. The results show that hyperbolic discounting significantly impairs asset accumulation at the JPY 100 million level but not at lower thresholds. This effect likely reflects the complex nature of hyperbolic discounting, which primarily affects long-term savings and investments. The findings underscore the importance of addressing hyperbolic discounting in later-life financial planning. Recommendations include implementing automatic savings plans, enhancing financial literacy, and incorporating behavioral insights into planning tools to support better asset accumulation outcomes.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9091/13/1/8asset accumulationhyperbolic discountingfinancial insecurityanxiety after retirementwealth thresholdbehavioral finance
spellingShingle Honoka Nabeshima
Sumeet Lal
Haruka Izumi
Yuzuha Himeno
Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan
Yoshihiko Kadoya
The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan
Risks
asset accumulation
hyperbolic discounting
financial insecurity
anxiety after retirement
wealth threshold
behavioral finance
title The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan
title_full The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan
title_fullStr The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan
title_short The Impact of Hyperbolic Discounting on Asset Accumulation for Later Life: A Study of Active Investors Aged 65 Years and over in Japan
title_sort impact of hyperbolic discounting on asset accumulation for later life a study of active investors aged 65 years and over in japan
topic asset accumulation
hyperbolic discounting
financial insecurity
anxiety after retirement
wealth threshold
behavioral finance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9091/13/1/8
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