Frequent shifting of household portfolio composition may erode wealth due to poor market timing and transaction costs. If household preferences are stable, the optimal wealth maximizing strategy is periodically rebalancing to maintain a relatively constant ratio of investment assets to wealth...

The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) contains detailed US household balance sheet information and is frequently used to study outcomes in household finance. There is no variable that explicitly measures financial sophistication in the SCF. We propose a factor score composed of four questions...

This study models the importance respondents place on saving for retirement as a function of time preference using a sample of 6812 undergraduate and graduate students. Individual time preference is measured by comparing dollar values over time and through a combination of intertemporal...

Despite repeated expansions of federal food assistance, food insecurity and hunger continue to affect many Americans. While job loss and poverty are among major contributors, theoretical and empirical literature suggest that households’ ability to borrow and save might provide a buffer...

This is the first study to lend empirical support to anecdotal media reports that indicate that real property buyers pay price premiums based on property names. Using a standard hedonic price model, we explore the price effects of property names that include the terms ícountryî and ícountry...

This paper uses data from the Survey of Consumer Finances to determine the characteristics of people who obtained high-interest loans to meet their short-term financing needs. Results indicate that individuals who were denied credit in the past were one and a half times more likely to borrow...

This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey to examine the differences in individual financial market participation among native-born and immigrant Americans. The results indicate that when compared with natives, immigrants are less likely to own financial assets. A decomposition...

This study utilizes a nationally representative proprietary dataset to examine the annuitization decisions of retirees. The results indicate that consulting a financial advisor, retirement duration, and risk aversion are positive predictors of annuity ownership. The results also indicate that...