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Wealth Accumulation Inequality: Does Investment Risk Tolerance and Equity Ownership Drive Wealth Accumulation?

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  • Wookjae Heo

    (South Dakota State University
    University of Georgia)

  • John E. Grable

    (Rutgers University)

  • Barbara O’Neill

    (Rutgers University)

Abstract

This study examined the savings aspect of wealth accumulation by estimating differences in financial risk tolerance and equity ownership among individual investors. Data were obtained from a proprietary dataset that collected over 15,000 risk-tolerance attitude responses between late 2007 and early 2013. Two research methodologies were utilized: cluster analysis and ANCOVA. The cluster analysis identified four investor profiles: (a) young lower-income women, (b) young unmarried men, (c) young college-educated men, and (d) older men with high income and education. Results from the ANCOVA test indicated that each cluster had significantly different levels of equity ownership, controlling for financial risk tolerance. Results provide a framework and methodology for future research on issues related to wealth inequality, investment behavior, and risk attitudes. The ability to group individuals similarly can be an important tool for researchers, policy makers, social activists, financial advisers, financial counselors, and educators when analyzing the household and macroeconomic wealth profile of United States residents.

Suggested Citation

  • Wookjae Heo & John E. Grable & Barbara O’Neill, 2017. "Wealth Accumulation Inequality: Does Investment Risk Tolerance and Equity Ownership Drive Wealth Accumulation?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(1), pages 209-225, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:133:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1359-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1359-5
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    1. Wookjae Heo & Abed G. Rabbani & Jae Min Lee, 2021. "Mediation between financial risk tolerance and equity ownership: assessing the role of financial knowledge underconfidence," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(3), pages 169-180, September.
    2. Fang, Ming & Li, Haiyang & Wang, Qin, 2021. "Risk tolerance and household wealth--Evidence from Chinese households," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 885-895.
    3. 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.
    4. Sunder, Aman & Palmer, Lance & Chatterjee, Swarn & Goetz, Joseph, 2024. "Benefits of consistent and comprehensive financial advice during the Great Recession," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. Jeffrey Anvari-Clark & Theda Rose, 2023. "Financial Behavioral Health and Investment Risk Willingness: Implications for the Racial Wealth Gap," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-29, May.

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