The Endogenous Grid Method for Epstein-Zin Preferences

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Abstract

The endogenous grid method (EGM) accelerates dynamic programming by inverting the Euler equation, but it appears incompatible with Epstein-Zin preferences where the value function enters the Euler equation. This paper shows that a power transformation resolves the difficulty. The resulting algorithm requires no root-finding, achieves speed gains of one to two orders of magnitude over value function iteration, and improves accuracy by more than one order of magnitude. Holding accuracy constant, the speedup is two to three orders of magnitude. VFI and time iteration face a speed-accuracy tradeoff; EGM sidesteps it entirely.

Citation

Lujan, Alan. 2026. “The Endogenous Grid Method for Epstein-Zin Preferences.” Working Paper. https://econ-ark.github.io/ezegm/.

Funding

Supported by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through Grant No. G-2025-79177.