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Who Among the Elderly Owns Stocks? The Role of Cognitive Ability and Bequest Motive

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  • Eun Kim
  • Sherman Hanna
  • Swarn Chatterjee
  • Suzanne Lindamood

Abstract

Conventional advice is to reduce risky investments as one ages. Such a generalized focus on risk avoidance may be inappropriate for elderly with longer life spans and those with financial goals that extend beyond their lifetime. To better understand risky asset holdings among the elderly, we investigated the effect of cognitive ability and bequest motive on stock ownership and stock purchase. Using the 2004 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, we found that one-third of elderly households held stocks and 36% of those elderly stockowners had recently acquired stocks. The respondent’s cognitive ability and bequest motive were strongly related to stock ownership. Among those who owned stock, a bequest motive was positively related to a recent purchase of stocks. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Eun Kim & Sherman Hanna & Swarn Chatterjee & Suzanne Lindamood, 2012. "Who Among the Elderly Owns Stocks? The Role of Cognitive Ability and Bequest Motive," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 338-352, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jfamec:v:33:y:2012:i:3:p:338-352
    DOI: 10.1007/s10834-012-9295-2
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    6. Begley, Jaclene, 2017. "Legacies of homeownership: Housing wealth and bequests," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 37-50.
    7. Dale R. DeBoer & Edward C. Hoang, 2017. "Inheritances and Bequest Planning: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 45-56, March.
    8. Hikaru Oba & Yoshihiko Kadoya & Haruka Okamoto & Teruyuki Matsuoka & Yoshinari Abe & Keisuke Shibata & Jin Narumoto, 2021. "The Economic Burden of Dementia: Evidence from a Survey of Households of People with Dementia and Their Caregivers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-10, March.
    9. Henri Njangang & Alim Beleck & Sosson Tadadjeu & Brice Kamguia, 2021. "Do ICTs drive wealth inequality? Evidence from a dynamic panel analysis," Working Papers 21/057, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
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    11. Tang, Ning, 2021. "Cognitive abilities, self-efficacy, and financial behavior," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
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    13. Sana Tabassum & Ashok Thomas, 2020. "A Longitudinal Analysis of the impact of Health Shocks on the wealth: Evidence from England," Working papers 371, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
    14. Bonsang, Eric & Dohmen, Thomas, 2015. "Risk attitude and cognitive aging," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 112-126.
    15. Njangang, Henri & Beleck, Alim & Tadadjeu, Sosson & Kamguia, Brice, 2022. "Do ICTs drive wealth inequality? Evidence from a dynamic panel analysis," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2).
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