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Attitudes towards Debt and Debt Behavior

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Listed:
  • Johan Almenberg
  • Annamaria Lusardi
  • Jenny Säve‐Söderbergh
  • Roine Vestman

Abstract

We introduce a novel survey measure of attitude towards debt. Matching our survey results with panel data on Swedish household balance sheets from registry data, we show that our measure of debt attitude helps to explain individual variation in indebtedness as well as debt build‐up and spending behavior in the period 2004–2007. As an explanatory variable, debt attitude compares well with a number of other determinants of debt, including education, risk‐taking, and financial literacy. We also provide evidence that suggests that debt attitude is passed down along family lines and has a cultural element.

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  • Johan Almenberg & Annamaria Lusardi & Jenny Säve‐Söderbergh & Roine Vestman, 2021. "Attitudes towards Debt and Debt Behavior," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(3), pages 780-809, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:123:y:2021:i:3:p:780-809
    DOI: 10.1111/sjoe.12419
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    Cited by:

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    3. Gallo, Giovanni & Sconti, Alessia, 2023. "How much financial literacy matters? A simulation of potential influences on inequality levels," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1266, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Bobae Hong & Kichang Kim & Yuxin Su, 2024. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Risk Preferences: Evidence from Field Experiments in China and Korea," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 151-173, March.
    5. Schnorpfeil, Philip & Weber, Michael & Hackethal, Andreas, 2023. "Households' response to the wealth effects of inflation," SAFE Working Paper Series 400, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    6. Ma. Jesusa Corazon M Lambert & Zuroni Md Jusoh & Husniyah Abd Rahim & Norzalina Zainudin, 2023. "Factors Affecting Financial Well-being of Millennials: A Systematic Review," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(2), pages 98-108.
    7. Elisabeth Beckmann & Christa Hainz & Sarah Reiter, 2022. "Third-Party Loan Guarantees: Measuring Literacy and its Effect on Financial Decisions (Elisabeth Beckmann, Christa Hainz, Sarah Reiter)," Working Papers 237, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank).
    8. DiGiuseppe, Matthew & Del Ponte, Alessandro, 2023. "Bottom-Up Sovereign Debt Preferences," SocArXiv wxr67, Center for Open Science.
    9. Giovanni Gallo & Alessia sconti, 2023. "Could financial education be a universal social policy? A simulation of potential influences on inequality levels," Center for the Analysis of Public Policies (CAPP) 0182, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    10. Kamilė Taujanskaitė & Eugenijus Milčius, 2022. "Accelerated Growth of Peer-to-Peer Lending and Its Impact on the Consumer Credit Market: Evidence from Lithuania," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, September.
    11. Cantarella, Michele & Kavonius, Ilja Kristian, 2022. "Job polarisation and household borrowing," Working Paper Series 2683, European Central Bank.
    12. Rendall, Stella & Brooks, Chris & Hillenbrand, Carola, 2021. "The impacts of emotions and personality on borrowers’ abilities to manage their debts," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    13. Lusardi, Annamaria & Mitchell, Olivia S. & Oggero, Noemi, 2019. "Debt close to retirement and its implications for retirement well-being," CFS Working Paper Series 631, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    14. Wieslawa Gryncewicz & Monika Sitarska-Buba, 2021. "Leading Research by Institutions and Authors: A Modern Research Analysis," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3B), pages 1012-1026.
    15. Butrica, Barbara A. & Karamcheva, Nadia S, 2020. "Is Rising Household Debt Affecting Retirement Decisions?," IZA Discussion Papers 13182, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Deng, Xin & Yu, Mingzhe, 2021. "Does the marginal child increase household debt? – Evidence from the new fertility policy in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Achou, Bertrand, 2021. "Housing liquidity and long-term care insurance demand: A quantitative evaluation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    18. Andrzej Cwynar & Wiktor Cwynar & Monika Baryła-Matejczuk & Moises Betancort, 2019. "Sustainable Debt Behaviour and Well-Being of Young Adults: The Role of Parental Financial Socialisation Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-26, December.
    19. Meyll, Tobias & Pauls, Thomas, 2019. "The gender gap in over-indebtedness," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    20. J. Cloutier & A. Roy, 2020. "Consumer Credit Use of Undergraduate, Graduate and Postgraduate Students: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 565-592, September.
    21. Mark S. Manger & J. Scott Matthews, 2021. "Knowing When to Splurge: Precautionary Saving and Chinese-Canadians," Papers 2108.00519, arXiv.org.
    22. Cwynar Andrzej, 2020. "Financial Literacy, Behaviour and Well-Being of Millennials in Poland Compared to Previous Generations: The Insights from Three Large-Scale Surveys," Review of Economic Perspectives, Sciendo, vol. 20(3), pages 289-335, September.
    23. Anna M. Helka & Tomasz Grzyb, 2021. "Social Norms Concerning Financial Liability for Various Indebtedness Experiences and Borrowing Plans: Evidence from Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3B), pages 22-35.
    24. Manger, Mark S. & Matthews, J. Scott, 2021. "Knowing when to splurge: Precautionary saving and Chinese-Canadians," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth

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