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Wealth inequality: data and models

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Author Info
Marco Cagetti
Mariacristina De Nardi

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Abstract

In the United States wealth is highly concentrated and very unequally distributed: the richest 1% hold one third of the total wealth in the economy. Understanding the determinants of wealth inequality is a challenge for many economic models. We summarize some key facts about the wealth distribution and what economic models have been able to explain so far.

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Paper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in its series Working Paper Series with number WP-05-10.

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Date of creation: 2005
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Handle: RePEc:fip:fedhwp:wp-05-10

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Keywords: Wealth;

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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Marco Cagetti & Mariacristina De Nardi, 2005. "Entrepreneurship, frictions, and wealth," Working Paper Series WP-05-09, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Pourpourides, Panayiotis M., 2007. "Implicit Contracts and the Cyclicality of the Skill-Premium," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2007/19, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section, revised Apr 2009. [Downloadable!]
  3. Christoph Winter, 2009. "Accounting for the changing role of family income in determining college entry," IEW - Working Papers iewwp402, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
  4. Matteo Iacoviello, 2005. "Household Debt and Income Inequality, 1963-2003," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 629, Boston College Department of Economics, revised 18 Oct 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Rajnish Mehra & Edwarad C Prescott & Facundo Piguillem, 2007. "Intermediated Quantities and Returns," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000001580, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Fang Yang, 2005. "Accounting for the heterogeneity in retirement wealth," Working Papers 638, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Olympia Bover, 2008. "Wealth inequality and household structure: US vs. Spain," Banco de España Working Papers 0804, Banco de España. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Naude, Wim, 2008. "Entrepreneurship in Economic Development," Working Papers RP2008/20, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER). [Downloadable!]
  9. James B. Davies & Susanna Sandstrom & David Laidler & David Laidler, 2009. "The Level and Distribution of Global Household Wealth," University of Western Ontario, RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute Working Papers 20091, University of Western Ontario, RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute. [Downloadable!]
  10. MacGee, James C., 2006. "Land Titles, Credit Markets and Wealth Distributions," Working Papers RP2006/150, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER). [Downloadable!]
  11. Jess Benhabib & Shenghao Zhu, 2008. "Age, Luck, and Inheritance," NBER Working Papers 14128, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Marco Cagetti & Mariacristina De Nardi, 2007. "Estate taxation, entrepreneurship, and wealth," Working Paper Series WP-07-08, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Gries, Thomas & Naude, Wim, 2008. "Entrepreneurship and Structural Economic Transformation," Working Papers RP2008/62, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER). [Downloadable!]
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