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Understanding the Racial/Ethnic Gap in Bank Account Ownership among Older Adults

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  • Luisa R. Blanco
  • Marco Angrisani
  • Emma Aguila
  • Mei Leng

Abstract

The observed racial/ethnic gap in bank account ownership among older adults is substantial. We investigate socioeconomic, cognitive, and cultural barriers underling it. As additional potential barriers are accounted for, the residual gaps in financial inclusion with respect to Whites are reduced by 19% for blacks and 46% for Hispanics. We find that citizenship and “taste for privacy” play a limited role for both minority groups, while real asset ownership, health, cognitive ability, and cultural hurdles contribute substantially to the gap. For Hispanics, language barriers explain most of the gap, while neighborhood‐level socioeconomic characteristics are more salient for blacks. We also examine how the racial/ethnic composition of couples influences financial decisions. We estimate a significantly smaller residual gap between “mixed” and white couples than between minority and white couples. We provide empirical evidence suggesting that, other things equal, mixed couples are less concerned with the cultural/psychological barriers facing minority couples.

Suggested Citation

  • Luisa R. Blanco & Marco Angrisani & Emma Aguila & Mei Leng, 2019. "Understanding the Racial/Ethnic Gap in Bank Account Ownership among Older Adults," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 324-354, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:53:y:2019:i:2:p:324-354
    DOI: 10.1111/joca.12188
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    Cited by:

    1. Aguila, Emma & Angrisani, Marco & Blanco, Luisa R., 2016. "Ownership of a bank account and health of older Hispanics," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 41-44.
    2. Marco Angrisani & Sergio Barrera & Luisa R. Blanco & Salvador Contreras, 2021. "The racial/ethnic gap in financial literacy in the population and by income," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 524-536, July.
    3. Luisa Blanco & Salvador Contreras & Amit Ghosh, 2022. "Impact of Great Recession bank failures on use of financial services among racial/ethnic and income groups," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(4), pages 1574-1598, April.
    4. Blanco, Luisa R. & Hernandez, Isaias & Thames, April D. & Chen, Lucia & Serido, Joyce, 2023. "Mind your money: A community-based digital intervention for improving financial capability among Hispanics," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 629-643.

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