Excess Sensitivity and Asymmetries in Consumption: An Empirical Investigation

Most empirical studies on liquidity constraints classify a consumer as being constrained on the basis of a single indicator such as the asset to income ratio. In this analysis, we model the probability that a consumer faces liquidity constraints as a function of multiple social and economic factors. This probability function is estimated simultaneously with the degree of excess sensitivity of consumption to income in a switching regressions framework. The switching regressions apply optimal weights to the densities for the Euler equations on the two states and are less susceptible to sample misclassification. We are also able to use exclusion restrictions on the Euler equations for the constrained and the unconstrained individuals to discriminate between excess sensitivity due to liquidity constraints, from that due to myopic behaviour and a certain type of time non-separable preferences. Our results based on data from the CEX confirm that liquidity constrained consumers are excessively sensitive to variables already known to economic agents. However, there is evidence that the unconstrained consumers also exhibit behaviour that is consistent with the theoretical predictions. Further analysis suggests that such behaviour could be explained by time non-separable preferences.
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