Debt Close to Retirement and Its Implications for Retirement Well-being (original) (raw)
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Understanding Debt at Older Ages and Its Implications for Retirement Well-being
2018
We use data from the 2015 National Financial Capability Study to analyze debt close to retirement. We show people carry many types of debt late in their lifetimes, and these types of debt are differently linked to measures of financial distress such as having too much debt or being unable to face a financial shock. Accordingly, it is important to be able to disaggregate debt to investigate reasons why individuals carry debt close to retirement. We show that lack of financial literacy, lack of information, and behavioral biases all help explain the prevalence of debt later in life. Our evidence indicates that debt at older ages can may negatively influence retirement wellbeing. Disciplines Economics Comments This project received funding from the TIAA Institute and Wharton School’s Pension Research Council/ Boettner Center. This working paper is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/prc\_papers/12 Understanding Debt at Older Ages and Its Implications for Retireme...
Understanding Debt in the Older Population
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020
Poor financial capability can erode well-being in later life. To explore debt and debt management among older Americans, age 51-61, we designed and analyzed a new module in the 2018 Health and Retirement Study along with information from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study. Even though this group should be at the peak of their retirement savings, it nevertheless carries debt due to student loans and unpaid medical bills; having children also contributes to carrying debt close to retirement. By contrast, the financially literate have more positive financial perceptions and behaviors. Specifically, being able to answer one additional financial literacy question correctly is associated with a higher probability of reporting an above average credit record and planning for retirement. Higher financial literacy is also linked to being less likely to carry excessive debt, being contacted by debt collectors, and carrying medical debt or student loans, even after accounting for a large range of demographics and other characteristics. Evidently, financial knowledge can help limit debt exposure at older ages.
Debt and Debt Management Among Older Adults
2013
Of particular interest in the present economic environment is whether access to credit is changing peoples’ indebtedness over time, particularly as they approach retirement. This project analyzes older individuals’ debt, debt management practices, and financial fragility using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS). Specifically, we examine three different cohorts (individuals age 56–61) in different time periods, 1992, 2002 and 2008, in the HRS to evaluate cross-cohort changes in debt over time. We also draw on recent data from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) which provides detailed information on how families manage their debt. Our goal is to assess how wealth and debt among older persons has evolved over time, along with the potential consequences for retirement security. We find that more recent cohorts have taken on more debt and face more financial insecurity, mostly due to having purchased more expensi...
The Changing Face of Debt and Financial Fragility at Older Ages
AEA Papers and Proceedings
We investigate changes in older individuals' financial fragility as they stand on the verge of retirement. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we compare how debt has changed for successive cohorts of people age 56–61. Our analysis shows that recent older Americans close to retirement hold more debt, and hence face greater financial insecurity, than earlier generations. This is primarily due to having bought more expensive homes with smaller down payments. We discuss possible policy implications.
Older Adult Debt and Financial Frailty
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
Of particular interest in the present economic environment is whether access to credit is changing peoples' indebtedness over time, particularly as they approach retirement. This project analyzes older individuals' debt, debt management practices, and financial fragility using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS). Specifically, we examine three different cohorts (individuals age 56-61) in different time periods, 1992, 2002 and 2008, in the HRS to evaluate cross-cohort changes in debt over time. We also draw on recent data from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) which provides detailed information on how families manage their debt. Our goal is to assess how wealth and debt among older persons has evolved over time, along with the potential consequences for retirement security. We find that more recent cohorts have taken on more debt and face more financial insecurity, mostly due to having purchased more expensive homes with smaller down payments. In addition, Baby Boomers are more likely to have engaged in expensive borrowing practices. Factors associated with better debt outcomes include having higher income, more education, and greater financial literacy; those associated with financial fragility include having more children and experiencing unexpected large income declines. Thus, shocks do play a role in the accumulation of debt close to retirement. But it is not enough to have resources, people also need the capacity to manage those resources if they are to stay out of debt as they head into retirement.
2020
Over the last few decades the share of older homeowners (age 62 and older) with mortgage debt has doubled, while the typical amount of outstanding debt relative to home values among this group has tripled. Older homeowners still paying off mortgage debt face high rates of housing cost burdens (paying more than 30 percent of income for housing), leaving less income for other necessities. In addition, homeowners with higher mortgage debt have less housing equity to tap for critical needs and face the ongoing risk of foreclosure. For these reasons, higher levels of mortgage debt may be expected to create lower levels of financial well-being among these individuals. Using both descriptive and multivariate approaches, this paper explores two issues related to these trends. First, it examines the relationship of financial well-being with both the incidence of mortgage debt and housing cost burdens based on the CFPB’s Financial WellBeing Scale as applied to data from the 2016 National Fina...
Unsecured Consumer Debt and Mental Health Outcomes in Middle-Aged and Older Americans
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2014
Objectives. Unsecured consumer debt may affect well-being negatively. We evaluated the association between unsecured debt and two distinct outcomes: depressive symptomatology and psychological well-being. Method. Data were obtained from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study. There were 5,817 adults aged ≥ 51 who responded to a core survey and psychosocial leave-behind questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the revised 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Psychological well-being was evaluated in a leavebehind questionnaire that had 3 dimensions: self-acceptance, personal growth, and purpose in life. Results. Thirty percent of the respondents had unsecured debt. The magnitude or amount of unsecured debt and the occurrence of unsecured debt were significant predictors of depressive symptoms and lower psychological well-being. Perceived control over personal financial circumstances was a significant predictor of higher psychological well-being. Discussion. In middle-aged and older Americans, unsecured debt has negative effects on mental health because of the associated depressive symptoms and decreased psychological well-being. The deleterious effects of unsecured debt on mental health are largely accounted for by perceived control over personal financial circumstances. Interventions enhancing older adults' control over personal financial circumstances may protect against the psychological decrements experienced by those grappling with unsecured debt.
Financial Literacy and Financial Behavior at Older Ages
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2022
Recent research documents that people are increasingly entering old age with more debt than ever before and with little or no retirement planning. This paper examines some reasons why older people's financial behaviors depart from the predictions of the life-cycle model, where the latter predicts that older persons would be at the peak of their wealth accumulation process and manage their money so as not to run out of savings in retirement. Drawing on the rapidly growing literature on financial literacy and financial behavior at older ages, we highlight findings on financial literacy patterns. We also document that "better" financial behaviors are strongly associated with greater financial literacy in later life. We close with some thoughts regarding limitations, policy implications, and next steps.
Skint: Retirement? Financial Hardship and Retirement Planning Behaviors
Journal of family and economic issues, 2021
This study used data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study to investigate the association between financial hardship and retirement planning behaviors. Results from logistic regressions showed that respondents with high difficulty making ends meet were more likely to calculate retirement needs and more likely to own a non-employer sponsored retirement plan. The perceived over-indebtedness was positively associated with owning an employer-sponsored account while negatively associated with owning a non-employer-sponsored account. Financial fragility was associated with a lower likelihood of calculating retirement needs and having a retirement account. The results of additional generational analyses revealed that the difficulty making ends meet and the perceived over-indebtedness showed different patterns with retirement planning behavior across three generations. In contrast, financial fragility showed consistent and negative associations with the retirement planning behaviors across generations.
The impact of debt levels on participation in and level of discretionary retirement savings
Financial …, 2002
This study used the 1998 Survey of Consumer Finances to examine the relationship between consumer debt levels and discretionary retirement savings in IRAs, Keoghs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, thrift savings and supplemental retirement annuities. Results of a two-stage analysis indicated that installment debt deterred participation in discretionary retirement savings. Among those who had discretionary retirement savings balances, accumulations were significantly lower for those who carried a credit card balance forward and for those who had installment debt.