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Financial Trouble Across Generations: Evidence from the Universe of Personal Loans in Denmark

Author

Listed:
  • Claus Thustrup Kreiner
  • Søren Leth-Petersen
  • Louise Charlotte Willerslev-Olsen

Abstract

This article uses administrative data with longitudinal information about defaults for the entire Danish population to analyse the driving forces behind financial problems. Non-parametric evidence shows that the default propensity is more than four times higher for individuals with parents in default compared with that for individuals with parents not in default. This intergenerational relationship is apparent soon after children move into adulthood and become legally able to borrow, and is remarkably stable across parental income levels, childhood school performances, levels of loan balances and time periods. The evidence indicates that inherited financial behaviour is important for explaining differences in financial trouble.

Suggested Citation

  • Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Søren Leth-Petersen & Louise Charlotte Willerslev-Olsen, 2020. "Financial Trouble Across Generations: Evidence from the Universe of Personal Loans in Denmark," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 130(625), pages 233-262.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:130:y:2020:i:625:p:233-262.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ej/uez046
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. N. Luotonen & V. Puttonen & E. Rantapuska, 2022. "Ability, Educational Attainment, and Household Financial Distress," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 655-672, December.
    2. N. Meltem Daysal & Michael F. Lovenheim & David N. Wasser, 2023. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Housing Wealth," CESifo Working Paper Series 10647, CESifo.
    3. Brown, Martin & Henchoz, Caroline & Spycher, Thomas, 2018. "Culture and financial literacy: Evidence from a within-country language border," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 62-85.
    4. Knüpfer, Samuli & Rantapuska, Elias & Sarvimäki, Matti, 2017. "Social interaction in the family: Evidence from investors’ security holdings," Research Discussion Papers 25/2017, Bank of Finland.
    5. 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.
    6. Turna Cebeci, Gizem, 2024. "Intergenerational transmission of financial biases," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    7. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah C. & Salamanca, Nicolás & Zhu, Anna, 2022. "Intergenerational disadvantage: Learning about equal opportunity from social assistance receipt," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. Knüpfer, Samuli & Rantapuska, Elias & Sarvimäki, Matti, 2017. "Why does portfolio choice correlate across generations?," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 25/2017, Bank of Finland.
    9. Roth, Paula, 2020. "Inequality, Relative Deprivation and Financial Distress: Evidence from Swedish Register Data," Working Paper Series 1374, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    10. Brown, Martin & Henchoz, Caroline & Spycher, Thomas, 2017. "Culture and Financial Literacy," Working Papers on Finance 1703, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    11. Agarwal, Sumit & Sing, Tien Foo & Zhang, Xiaoyu, 2024. "Intergenerational bankruptcy risks: Learning from parents’ mistakes," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General

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