A Genetic algorithm for Objective formulation effect on the shortfall of retirees in developing countries: a case study in Iran

The certainty about retirement income is dependent on the longevity and the selected investment policy by individuals during their working years. Attention to longevity and investment risks is of high significance in making enough income for retirees. In this research, the impact of the objective formulation selection on investment decisions has been investigated. Two functions including terminal wealth objective formulation and retirement income objective formulation are applied to investigate these decisions. Based on the investment alternatives, 5 asset classes including Equity, Certificate of deposit (cash), real estate investment trust (REIT), gold coin, and foreign exchange have been selected for investment. According to the complexity of modeling in the aforementioned functions, the Metaheuristic Genetic algorithm has been used. The results are indicative of the importance of objective formulation selection. The retirement income objective function has the nature of more wealth accumulation and more control over economic and market turbulences through higher cooperation in investment and as a result, it has been recommended as the optimal function.