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Gender Differences in Inter Vivos Transfers

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  • Abigail Loxton

    (Department of Economics Indiana University)

Abstract

To what extent do parents exhibit preferential treatment for one gender with respect to financial gifts to children? Using the Health and Retirement Study from 1992-2014, I estimate differences in the frequency and magnitude of gifts to sons and daughters. Conditional on a transfer, there is no evidence of differences in amounts between sons and daughters. However parents give to daughters at higher rates. I explore potential mechanisms for this disparity: in particular, I address the altruism and exchange motives for inter vivos transfers. I find that the difference in giving rates is partially explained by higher expected rates of future care from daughters. Even after controlling for discrepancy in care-taking, income levels, and other observable characteristics, parents are still 10-20% more likely to give a transfer to their daughters. The discrepancy in giving rates is driven by unmarried children: once daughters marry they are less likely to receive a transfer.

Suggested Citation

  • Abigail Loxton, 2019. "Gender Differences in Inter Vivos Transfers," CAEPR Working Papers 2019-002, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.
    • Handle: RePEc:inu:caeprp:2019002
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    File URL: https://caepr.indiana.edu/RePEc/inu/caeprp/caepr2019-002.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tisch, Daria & Schechtl, Manuel, 2023. "The Gender (Tax) Gap in Parental Transfers. Evidence from Administrative Inheritance and Gift Tax Data," SocArXiv kfetw, Center for Open Science.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    inter vivos transfers; gender differences; altruism; informal care;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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