2008-02: Is The Potential For High Investor Leverage A Threat To Social Security Privatization?

Abstract: 

How risky and expensive it would be to insure a long-term individual Social Security account invested in stocks against the risk that the portfolio’s value would collapse? This paper uses a particular metric to evaluate this risk and cost. This metric is a long-term put option written on such a portfolio. The answer is that for reasonable parameters the Black-Scholes price of such a put option is surprisingly low: just 2-4% of original investment.

Publication date: 
March 1, 2008
Publication type: 
2008 Working Papers

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