Optimal asset management for pension funds

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the asset allocation problem for a pension fund which maximizes the expected present value of its wealth augmented by the prospective mathematical reserve at the death time of a representative member.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies the stochastic optimization technique in continuous time. In order to present an explicit solution it considers the case of both deterministic interest rate and market price of risk.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that the optimal portfolio is always less risky than the Merton's (1969‐1971) one. In particular, the asset allocation is less and less risky until the pension date while, after retirement of the fund's representative member, it becomes riskier and riskier.

Practical implications

The paper shows the best way for managing a pension fund portfolio during both the accumulation and the decumulation phases.

Originality/value

The paper fills a gap in the optimal portfolio literature about the joint analysis of both the actuarial and the financial framework. In particular, it shows that the actuarial part strongly affects the behaviour of the optimal asset allocation.

Citation

Menoncin, F. and Scaillet, O. (2006), "Optimal asset management for pension funds", Managerial Finance, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 347-374. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074350610652260