Article

Gamma discounters are short-termist

Christian Gollier

Abstract

Weitzman (1998, 2001) proposed a simple “gamma discounting” method to characterize the term structure of discount rates today from the sole distribution of future spot interest rates. This rule which justifies using a smaller discount rate for longer maturities is now used for long-term policy evaluations in the UK, France, Norway, and potentially in the US. But we show that there is no social preference within the discounted expected utility framework that generically supports this pricing model and its underlying criterion, the expected net present value rule. Considering a standard Lucas tree economy, we characterize the term structure from the joint distribution of future spot interest rates and future consumption levels. When future growth rates are serially correlated, efficient discount rates today are decreasing with maturity, and the gamma discounting rule yields discount rates that are larger than the efficient ones.

Keywords

decreasing discount rates; term structure; uncertain growth; Weitzman-Gollier puzzle;

JEL codes

  • E43: Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
  • G11: Portfolio Choice • Investment Decisions
  • G12: Asset Pricing • Trading Volume • Bond Interest Rates
  • Q54: Climate • Natural Disasters • Global Warming

Replaces

Christian Gollier, Gamma discounters are short-termist, TSE Working Paper, n. 14-499, June 2014, revised October 2014.

Reference

Christian Gollier, Gamma discounters are short-termist, Journal of Public Economics, vol. 142, October 2016, pp. 83–90.

Published in

Journal of Public Economics, vol. 142, October 2016, pp. 83–90