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Relative Income and Indebtedness: Evidence from Panel Data

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  • Michael D. Carr
  • Arjun Jayadev

Abstract

type="main"> We examine patterns of indebtedness in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, focusing on the period surrounding the housing bubble and its aftermath (i.e., 1999–2009). Leverage increased across households, but most quickly among lower income households during this period. We find additionally that leverage grew faster for households with lower relative income compared to other households in similar demographic groups or within a state controlling for own income. Together, these findings provide evidence for the thesis that the rising indebtedness of households in the U.S. is related to high levels of inequality, and that “Veblen effects,” whereby relative income matters for individual well-being and decisions, may contribute to rising household indebtedness.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael D. Carr & Arjun Jayadev, 2015. "Relative Income and Indebtedness: Evidence from Panel Data," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 61(4), pages 759-772, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:revinw:v:61:y:2015:i:4:p:759-772
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    2. Borissov, Kirill & Hashimzade, Nigar, 2022. "Fiscal policy and inequality in a model with endogenous positional concerns," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Pintu Parui, 2023. "Worker household debt, functional income distribution and growth: A neo‐Kaleckian perspective," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 446-476, May.
    4. Bilin Neyapti, 2018. "Income distribution and economic crises," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 273-296, December.
    5. Schulz, Jan & Mayerhoffer, Daniel M., 2021. "A network approach to consumption," BERG Working Paper Series 173, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
    6. Mariya Hake & Philipp Poyntner, 2022. "Keeping Up With the Novaks? Income Distribution as a Determinant of Household Debt in CESEE," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(S1), pages 224-260, April.
    7. Kwan Ok Lee & Masaki Mori, 2021. "Conspicuous consumption and household indebtedness," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 49(S2), pages 557-586, September.
    8. Lawrence M. Berger & Jason N. Houle, 2019. "Rising Household Debt and Children’s Socioemotional Well-being Trajectories," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1273-1301, August.
    9. Mathias Klein & Christopher Krause, 2020. "Income Redistribution, Consumer Credit, and Keeping Up with the Riches," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(8), pages 1937-1971, December.
    10. Barbieri Góes, Maria Cristina, 2019. "Personal income distribution and progressive taxation in a neo-Kaleckian model: Insights from the Italian case," IPE Working Papers 126/2019, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    11. Hajar Chetioui & Yassine El Bouchikhi & Mohamed Makhtari & Meriem Sahli & Hind Lebdaoui, 2024. "An Investigation of the Impact of Financial Literacy on Households’ Financial Well-Being: An Emerging Market Study," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 14(3), pages 97-105, May.
    12. Chen, Jinzhi & Song, Lu & Wen, Xingchun & Wu, Huan, 2024. "Credit easing, income gap, and housing price fluctuation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PB), pages 490-502.
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    15. Hake, Mariya & Poyntner, Philipp, 2020. "Keeping up with the Novaks? Income distribution as a determinant of household debt in CESEE," BOFIT Discussion Papers 3/2020, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.

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