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Family Events and Timing of Intergenerational Transfers

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  • Thomas Leopold
  • Thorsten Schneider

Abstract

This research investigates how family events in adult children's lives influence the timing of their parents' financial transfers. We draw on retrospective data collected by the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) and use event history models to study the effects of marriage, divorce, and childbirth on receiving large gifts from parents. We find increased chances of receiving gifts of houses or land at marriage and in the following years, at childbirth, but not at divorce. Large gifts of money are received in the year of marriage and also in the year of divorce. Our findings, on the onehand, indicate that parental gifts are triggered by adult children's economic need. On the other hand, they point to a plurality of givers' transfer motives and highlight the meanings of different types of wealth for parents, adult children, andtheir relationships.

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  • Thomas Leopold & Thorsten Schneider, 2010. "Family Events and Timing of Intergenerational Transfers," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 327, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp327
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    Cited by:

    1. Tom Emery & Stipica Mudrazija, 2015. "Measuring intergenerational financial support: Analysis of two cross-national surveys," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(33), pages 951-984.

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