How to Design Target-Date Funds?

32 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2013

See all articles by Benjamin Bruder

Benjamin Bruder

Lyxor Asset Management

Leo Culerier

Lyxor Asset Management

Thierry Roncalli

Amundi Asset Management; University of Evry

Date Written: September 3, 2012

Abstract

Several years ago, the concept of target-date funds emerged to complement traditional balanced funds in defined-contribution pension plans. The main idea is to delegate the dynamic allocation with respect to the retirement date of individuals to the portfolio manager. Owing to its long-term horizon, a target-date fund is unique and cannot be compared to a mutual fund. Moreover, the objective of the individual is to contribute throughout their working life by investing a part of their income in order to maximise their pension benefits. The main purpose of this article is to analyse and understand dynamic allocation in a target-date fund framework. We show that the optimal exposure in the risky portfolio varies over time and is very sensitive to the parameters of both the market and the investor's. We then deduce some practical guidelines to better design target-date funds for the asset management industry.

Keywords: target-date fund, retirement system, dynamic asset allocation, stochastic optimal control, market portfolio, risk aversion, stock/bond asset mix policy

JEL Classification: C61, D91, G11, J26

Suggested Citation

Bruder, Benjamin and Culerier, Leo and Roncalli, Thierry, How to Design Target-Date Funds? (September 3, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2289099 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2289099

Benjamin Bruder

Lyxor Asset Management ( email )

Paris
France

Leo Culerier

Lyxor Asset Management ( email )

Paris
France

Thierry Roncalli (Contact Author)

Amundi Asset Management ( email )

90 Boulevard Pasteur
Paris, 75015
France

University of Evry ( email )

Boulevard Francois Mitterrand
F-91025 Evry Cedex
France

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
827
Abstract Views
4,613
Rank
54,457
PlumX Metrics