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Children and Household Wealth

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  • JohnKarl Scholz

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Ananth Seshadri

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of children on consumption and wealth. To anchor intuition, we develop implications using a simple permanent income model with no uncertainty and complete markets. But this framework does not come close to matching the distribution of existing wealth. We therefore examine the effects of children using a rich, augmented life-cycle model, and using a life-cycle model with endogenous fertility. We find that children have a large effect on household’s net worth and consequently are an important factor in understanding the wealth distribution. The effects of children are much larger than the effects of asset tests associated with cash and near-cash transfers, given earnings realizations and the social security system experienced by households in the original HRS cohort. We also show that fertility and credit constraints interact in ways that significantly affect wealth accumulation.

Suggested Citation

  • JohnKarl Scholz & Ananth Seshadri, 2007. "Children and Household Wealth," Working Papers wp158, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:mrr:papers:wp158
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    Cited by:

    1. Córdoba, Juan Carlos & Liu, Xiying & Ripoll, Marla, 2016. "Fertility, social mobility and long run inequality," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 103-124.
    2. Larry Jones & Alice Schoonbrodt, 2016. "Baby Busts and Baby Booms: The Fertility Response to Shocks in Dynastic Models," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 22, pages 157-178, October.
    3. Andreas Hubener & Raimond Maurer & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2016. "How Family Status and Social Security Claiming Options Shape Optimal Life Cycle Portfolios," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(4), pages 937-978.
    4. Najat El Mekkaoui de Freitas & Bérangère Legendre, 2014. "Constitution d’un revenu complémentaire de retraite : quels sont les facteurs déterminants?," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 472(1), pages 153-167.
    5. Negrusa, Brighita & Oreffice, Sonia, 2010. "Sexual Orientation and Household Savings: Do Homosexual Couples Save More?," IZA Discussion Papers 4961, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Mariacristina De Nardi & Giulio Fella, 2017. "Saving and Wealth Inequality," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 26, pages 280-300, October.
    7. Michelle Maroto, 2018. "Saving, Sharing, or Spending? The Wealth Consequences of Raising Children," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2257-2282, December.
    8. De Nardi, Mariacristina & Yang, Fang, 2014. "Bequests and heterogeneity in retirement wealth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 182-196.
    9. Fang Yang, 2005. "Accounting for the heterogeneity in retirement wealth," Working Papers 638, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/11143 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Brighita Negrusa & Sonia Oreffice, 2011. "Sexual orientation and household financial decisions: evidence from couples in the United States," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 445-463, December.
    12. Peter J. Brady, 2012. "Can 401(k) Plans Provide Adequate Retirement Resources?," Public Finance Review, , vol. 40(2), pages 177-206, March.
    13. Elsa Fornero & Annamaria Lusardi & Chiara Monticone, 2009. "Adequacy of Saving for Old Age in Europe," CeRP Working Papers 87, Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies, Turin (Italy).
    14. Hervé, Fabrice & Marsat, Sylvain, 2024. "Like daughter, like father: Female socialization and green equity investment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).
    15. Kaschützke, B. & Maurer, R., 2016. "Investing and Portfolio Allocation for Retirement," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 567-608, Elsevier.
    16. Kai Yuan Kuan & Mark R. Cullen & Sepideh Modrek, 2015. "Racial Disparities in Savings Behavior for a Continuously Employed Cohort," NBER Working Papers 20937, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Mariacristina De Nardi, 2015. "Quantitative Models of Wealth Inequality: A Survey," NBER Working Papers 21106, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Patrice Perry–Rivers, 2016. "Stratification, Economic Adversity, and Entrepreneurial Launch: The Effect of Resource Position on Entrepreneurial Strategy," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(3), pages 685-712, May.
    19. Lixing Li & Xiaoyu Wu, 2017. "The Consequences of Having a Son on Family Wealth in Urban China," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63(2), pages 378-393, June.
    20. Zachary Winkle & Christiaan Monden, 2022. "Family Size and Parental Wealth: The Role of Family Transfers in Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(3), pages 401-428, August.
    21. Jonathan Skinner, 2007. "Are You Sure You're Saving Enough for Retirement?," NBER Working Papers 12981, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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