WEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG MATURE &OLDER ADULTS

Rand Corporation, Santa Monica CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

This MERIT renewal will support Dr. James P. Smith in building upon and extending the project's original four specific aims: 1) to describe patterns of asset accumulation among middle aged and older American households; 2) to examine trajectories in the components of household wealth; 3) to document racial and ethnic wealth disparities, and 4) to isolate some behaviors that may account for these large wealth differences among American households. In the proposed research plan, Dr. Smith will build upon and extend the research accomplished during the previous period of support. He proposes to: continue methodological research on quality of measurement in the major aging household surveys of HRS, AHEAD and PSID; extend his focus on the impact of health on household income and wealth to an investigation of the pathway from economic resources to individual health outcomes; extend his research on racial disparities in wealth and health by looking at savings behavior as opposed only to wealth levels; and examine the motivations for household wealth accumulation and savings behavior.