This paper analyses financial distress among Italian households using the longitudinal component of the Bank of Italy Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW) for the period 1998-2006. It aims to test whether the probability of experiencing financial difficulties is persistent over time....

This paper analyses financial distress among Italian households using the longitudinal component of the Bank of Italy Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW) for the period 1998-2006. It aims to test whether the probability of experiencing financial difficulties is persistent over time....

This paper builds on existing studies on households’ financial distress and provides new evidence on the determinants of financial hardship in Italy and its persistence over time. It suggests a quantitative definition of financial distress based on the distribution of net wealth, and tests...