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Wealth concentration in the U.S. after augmenting the upper tail of the survey of consumer finances

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  • Bricker, Jesse
  • Hansen, Peter
  • Volz, Alice Henriques

Abstract

We augment SCF wealth data with a Pareto distribution and also by adding wealth of the Forbes 400 (who are excluded in SCF sampling). The wealth share of the top 1% typically increases by 1.5 percentage points under each correction.

Suggested Citation

  • Bricker, Jesse & Hansen, Peter & Volz, Alice Henriques, 2019. "Wealth concentration in the U.S. after augmenting the upper tail of the survey of consumer finances," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:184:y:2019:i:c:s0165176519303295
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2019.108659
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephen P. Jenkins, 2017. "Pareto Models, Top Incomes and Recent Trends in UK Income Inequality," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 84(334), pages 261-289, April.
    2. Paul Eckerstorfer & Johannes Halak & Jakob Kapeller & Bernhard Schütz & Florian Springholz & Rafael Wildauer, 2016. "Correcting for the Missing Rich: An Application to Wealth Survey Data," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 62(4), pages 605-627, December.
    3. Stefan Bach & Andreas Thiemann & Aline Zucco, 2015. "The Top Tail of the Wealth Distribution in Germany, France, Spain, and Greece," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1502, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Xavier Gabaix, 2009. "Power Laws in Economics and Finance," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 1(1), pages 255-294, May.
    5. Jesse Bricker & Alice Henriques & Jacob Krimmel & John Sabelhaus, 2016. "Measuring Income and Wealth at the Top Using Administrative and Survey Data," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 47(1 (Spring), pages 261-331.
    6. Gabriel Zucman, 2019. "Global Wealth Inequality," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 109-138, August.
    7. Jesse Bricker & Alice Henriques Volz & Kevin B. Moore, 2017. "Updates to the Sampling of Wealthy Families in the Survey of Consumer Finances," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2017-114, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    8. Arthur B. Kennickell & R. Louise Woodburn, 1999. "CONSISTENT WEIGHT DESIGN FOR THE 1989, 1992 AND 1995 SCFs, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 45(2), pages 193-215, June.
    9. Arthur Charpentier & Emmanuel Flachaire, 2019. "Pareto Models for Top Incomes," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-02145024, HAL.
    10. Alice Henriques Volz & John Edward Sabelhaus, 2019. "Are Disappearing Employer Pensions Contributing to Rising Wealth Inequality?," FEDS Notes 2019-02-01, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    11. Philip Vermeulen, 2018. "How Fat is the Top Tail of the Wealth Distribution?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 64(2), pages 357-387, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bartels, Charlotte & Bönke, Timm & Glaubitz, Rick & Grabka, Markus M. & Schröder, Carsten, 2023. "Accounting for pension wealth, the missing rich and under-coverage: A comprehensive wealth distribution for Germany," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    2. Sierminska, Eva & Wroński, Marcin, 2022. "Inequality and Public Pension Entitlements," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1212, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Marcin Wroński, 2023. "The Displacement Effects of Social Security Wealth in a Transition Economy: The Case of Poland," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 19-40.
    4. Jesse Bricker & Sarena Goodman & Alice Henriques Volz & Kevin B. Moore, 2021. "A Wealth of Information: Augmenting the Survey of Consumer Finances to Characterize the Full U.S. Wealth Distribution," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2021-053, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    5. Matthew Smith & Owen Zidar & Eric Zwick, 2020. "Top Wealth in America: New Estimates and Implications for Taxing the Rich," Working Papers 264, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    6. Daniel Waldenström, 2021. "Wealth and History: An Update," CESifo Working Paper Series 9366, CESifo.
    7. Edward N. Wolff, 2020. "Taxes and the Revaluation of Household Wealth," NBER Working Papers 27328, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Nora Lustig, 2019. "The “Missing Rich” in Household Surveys: Causes and Correction Approaches," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 75, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    9. Edward N. Wolff, 2021. "The declining wealth of the middle class, 1983–2016," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 461-478, July.
    10. Edward N. Wolff, 2022. "The Stock Market and the Evolution of Top Wealth Shares in the United States," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(1), pages 53-66, March.
    11. Nora Lustig, 2020. "The ``missing rich'' in household surveys: causes and correction approaches," Working Papers 520, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    12. Wojciech Kopczuk & Eric Zwick, 2020. "Business Incomes at the Top," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(4), pages 27-51, Fall.
    13. Waldenström, Daniel, 2021. "Wealth and History: An Update," Working Paper Series 1411, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    14. Nadia Karamcheva & Victoria Perez-Zetune, 2023. "Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans and the Distribution of Family Wealth: Working Paper 2023-02," Working Papers 58305, Congressional Budget Office.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wealth concentration; Pareto distribution; Forbes 400 wealth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C18 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Methodolical Issues: General
    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance

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