IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/econoa/v18y2024i1p16n1018.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Portfolio Allocation, Risk Aversion, and Digital Literacy Among the European Elderly

Author

Listed:
  • Enescu Adrian-Gabriel

    (Department of Finance, Accounting, and Economic Theory, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania)

  • Raileanu Szeles Monica

    (Institute for Economic Forecasting, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania)

Abstract

This study contributes to the literature on portfolio choices of elder persons by examining the influence of digital literacy on the propensity to own risky assets, when considering individual- and country-level variables. Our empirical analysis is based on data from Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and a set of macroeconomic indicators retrieved from international databases. To capture the impact of individual- and country-level factors, we have utilized multilevel models with a two-level sampling design. The results obtained provide evidence for a positive relationship between individual- and country-level digital literacy and portfolio riskiness, as well as heterogeneity in the portfolio choices of older individuals across the European Union (EU) countries. In addition, age is found to influence differently the portfolio riskiness of elder persons across the EU countries. Bridging the digital divide may provide access to balanced-risk portfolios for elderly persons.

Suggested Citation

  • Enescu Adrian-Gabriel & Raileanu Szeles Monica, 2024. "Portfolio Allocation, Risk Aversion, and Digital Literacy Among the European Elderly," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-16.
  • Handle: RePEc:bpj:econoa:v:18:y:2024:i:1:p:16:n:1018
    DOI: 10.1515/econ-2022-0072
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/econ-2022-0072
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/econ-2022-0072?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bruce Headey & Ruud Muffels & Mark Wooden, 2008. "Money Does not Buy Happiness: Or Does It? A Reassessment Based on the Combined Effects of Wealth, Income and Consumption," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 65-82, May.
    2. Marianna Brunetti & Costanza Torricelli, 2010. "Population age structure and household portfolio choices in Italy," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(6), pages 481-502.
    3. Atella, Vincenzo & Brunetti, Marianna & Maestas, Nicole, 2012. "Household portfolio choices, health status and health care systems: A cross-country analysis based on SHARE," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1320-1335.
    4. Janice C Sipior & Burke T Ward & Regina Connolly, 2011. "The digital divide and t-government in the United States: using the technology acceptance model to understand usage," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 308-328, May.
    5. Ela Ostrovsky-Berman & Howard Litwin, 2019. "Social Network and Financial Risk Tolerance Among Investors Nearing and During Retirement," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 237-249, June.
    6. Christelis, Dimitris & Jappelli, Tullio & Padula, Mario, 2010. "Cognitive abilities and portfolio choice," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 18-38, January.
    7. Rosen, H.S.Harvey S. & Wu, Stephen, 2004. "Portfolio choice and health status," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(3), pages 457-484, June.
    8. Edwards, Ryan D, 2008. "Health Risk and Portfolio Choice," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 26, pages 472-485.
    9. Nattavudh Powdthavee, 2010. "How much does money really matter? Estimating the causal effects of income on happiness," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 77-92, August.
    10. Dimitris Georgarakos & Giacomo Pasini, 2011. "Trust, Sociability, and Stock Market Participation," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 15(4), pages 693-725.
    11. Robert Faff & Terrence Hallahan & Michael McKenzie, 2009. "Nonlinear linkages between financial risk tolerance and demographic characteristics," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(13), pages 1329-1332.
    12. Angelini, Viola & Cavapozzi, Danilo, 2017. "Dispositional optimism and stock investments," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 113-128.
    13. Christopher Tamborini & ChangHwan Kim & Arthur Sakamoto, 2015. "Education and Lifetime Earnings in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(4), pages 1383-1407, August.
    14. Banks, James & Bassoli, Elena & Mammi, Irene, 2020. "Changing attitudes to risk at older ages: The role of health and other life events," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Polyxeni Vassilakopoulou & Eli Hustad, 2023. "Bridging Digital Divides: a Literature Review and Research Agenda for Information Systems Research," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 955-969, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kaustia, Markku & Conlin, Andrew & Luotonen, Niilo, 2023. "What drives stock market participation? The role of institutional, traditional, and behavioral factors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    2. Niu, Geng & Wang, Qi & Li, Han & Zhou, Yang, 2020. "Number of brothers, risk sharing, and stock market participation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Angrisani, Marco & Atella, Vincenzo & Brunetti, Marianna, 2018. "Public health insurance and household portfolio Choices: Unravelling financial “Side Effects” of Medicare," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 198-212.
    4. Padmaja Ayyagari & Daifeng He, 2017. "The Role of Medical Expenditure Risk in Portfolio Allocation Decisions," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(11), pages 1447-1458, November.
    5. Christelis, Dimitris & Georgarakos, Dimitris & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2020. "The impact of health insurance on stockholding: A regression discontinuity approach," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Vu, Thi-Hong-Phuong & Li, Chu-Shiu & Liu, Chwen-Chi, 2021. "Effects of the financial crisis on household financial risky assets holdings: Empirical evidence from Europe," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 342-358.
    7. Atella, Vincenzo & Brunetti, Marianna & Maestas, Nicole, 2012. "Household portfolio choices, health status and health care systems: A cross-country analysis based on SHARE," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1320-1335.
    8. Banks, James & Bassoli, Elena & Mammi, Irene, 2020. "Changing attitudes to risk at older ages: The role of health and other life events," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. James Banks & Elena Bassoli & Irene Mammi, 2019. "Changing Risk Preferences at Older Ages," Working Papers 2019:01, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    10. Saruultuya Tsendsuren & Chu-Shiu Li & Sheng-Chang Peng & Wing-Keung Wong, 2018. "The Effects of Health Status on Life Insurance Holdings in 16 European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-30, September.
    11. Ela Ostrovsky-Berman & Howard Litwin, 2019. "Social Network and Financial Risk Tolerance Among Investors Nearing and During Retirement," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 237-249, June.
    12. Kronenberg, C. & van Kippersluis, H. & Rohde, K.I.M., 2014. "What drives the association between health and portfolio choice?," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 14/27, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    13. Christelis, Dimitris & Dobrescu, Loretti I. & Motta, Alberto, 2020. "Early life conditions and financial risk-taking in older age," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    14. Lu, Xiaomeng & Guo, Jiaojiao & Gan, Li, 2020. "International comparison of household asset allocation: Micro-evidence from cross-country comparisons," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    15. Gábor-Tóth, Enikő & Georgarakos, Dimitris, 2018. "Economic policy uncertainty and stock market participation," CFS Working Paper Series 590, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    16. Vicki L. Bogan & David R. Just & Brian Wansink, 2013. "Do Psychological Shocks Affect Financial Risk Taking Behavior? A Study Of U.S. Veterans," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 31(3), pages 457-467, July.
    17. Böckerman, Petri & Conlin, Andrew & Svento, Rauli, 2021. "Early health, risk aversion and stock market participation," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    18. Inmaculada Aguiar-Díaz & María Victoria Ruiz-Mallorqui, 2022. "Private Health Insurance and Financial Risk Taking in Spain—The Moderating Effect of Subjective Risk Tolerance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, December.
    19. David Aristei & Silvia Bacci & Francesco Bartolucci & Silvia Pandolfi, 2021. "A bivariate finite mixture growth model with selection," Advances in Data Analysis and Classification, Springer;German Classification Society - Gesellschaft für Klassifikation (GfKl);Japanese Classification Society (JCS);Classification and Data Analysis Group of the Italian Statistical Society (CLADAG);International Federation of Classification Societies (IFCS), vol. 15(3), pages 759-793, September.
    20. Rui Yao & Yilan Xu & Jie Zhang, 2023. "Financial resilience of two‐worker households from a health perspective," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 1258-1280, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    portfolio choices; stock market participation; digital divide; elderly people;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • F30 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:econoa:v:18:y:2024:i:1:p:16:n:1018. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.