We examine whether the decision to participate in the stock market and other related portfolio decisions are influenced by income hedging motives. Economic theory predicts that the market participation propensity should increase as the correlation between income growth and stock market returns...

This study examines the stock market entry and exit decisions of U.S. households. We find that around 25% of households enter or exit from their non-retirement investment accounts biennially. Cross-sectional and time-series tests indicate that income risk affects equity ownership turnover. A...

We investigate the impact of local agglomeration economies on household portfolio choice. Using detailed location and employment data from two U.S. household surveys, we document that individuals who work in locally agglomerated industries are more likely to invest in risky assets. This pattern...

Experimental and field data suggest that a social factor, discrimination, affects the risk perceptions and portfolio decisions of U.S. households. Experiments indicate that minorities perceive greater income risk. Minorities with relatively high risk perceptions are 10% less likely to invest....

We show that geographical variation in the level of investor sophistication influences local asset prices. Investors in less sophisticated regions exhibit stronger trading correlations, and correspondingly, the returns of firms headquartered in less sophisticated areas are more strongly...