A GMM test of the precautionary saving hypothesis with nonexpected-utility preferences

Using GMM estimation with the US data from January 1967 to April 2003, the precautionary saving hypothesis is tested using time-varying consumption uncertainty and a nonexpected-utility model of intertemporal optimal consumption. Overidentifying restrictions of the model specification are also tested for both expected and nonexpected utility using Hansen's J-statistics. It was found that the precautionary saving hypothesis did not hold under expected-utility preferences but did hold partly under nonexpected-utility preferences.