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Gender differences in portfolio risk across birth cohort and marital status

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  • Kate Rybczynski

Abstract

This paper investigates gender differences in portfolio risk among Canadian men and women and finds that, controlling for a variety of personal and household characteristics, never married men, born post‐1966, hold significantly higher risk portfolios relative to single women and married couples. Conversely, observed gender differences among pre‐1943 birth cohorts are primarily driven by disparities in characteristics rather than gender or marital status. Previously married women, born 1955–1966, have remarkably high predicted portfolio risk relative to other women and men in the same cohort. Différences entre genres face aux risques de portefeuille selon la cohorte de naissance et le statut matrimonial. Ce texte examine les différences face aux risques de portefeuille entre les hommes et les femmes canadiennes, en contrôlant pour diverses caractéristiques personnelles ou des ménages. Les hommes qui ne se sont jamais mariés, nés après 1966, détiennent des portefeuilles au coefficient de risque plus élevé de maniére significative que ceux détenus par les femmes célibataires ou les couples mariés. A contrario, les différences entre hommes et femmes, pour les cohortes nées avant 1943, sont co‐reliées à des caractéristiques autres que le sexe ou le statut matrimonial. Les femmes mariées antérieurement et nées entre 1955 et 1966 ont des portefeuilles dont le coefficient de risque prédit est plus élevé et de manière marquée que celui des portefeuilles des autres femmes et hommes de la même cohorte.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate Rybczynski, 2015. "Gender differences in portfolio risk across birth cohort and marital status," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(1), pages 28-63, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:48:y:2015:i:1:p:28-63
    DOI: 10.1111/caje.12118
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