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Measuring household wealth in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics: the role of retirement assets

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  • Daniel H. Cooper
  • Karen E. Dynan
  • Hannah Rhodenhiser

Abstract

While the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) has much to offer researchers studying household behavior, one limitation is that its summary measure of wealth is not as broad as those of other commonly used surveys, such as the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), because it does not include the value of defined-contribution (DC) pensions. This paper describes the pension data available in the PSID and shows how they can be used to create a more comprehensive picture of household finances. We then compare various measures derived from these data with their counterparts from the SCF. Along a number of dimensions, the PSID data line up fairly well. Notably, an augmented summary measure of PSID wealth that includes the value of DC pensions is considerably closer to the SCF summary measure than to the standard measure for the median household. We conclude by presenting several examples of research areas where using a broader measure of wealth might be important.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel H. Cooper & Karen E. Dynan & Hannah Rhodenhiser, 2019. "Measuring household wealth in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics: the role of retirement assets," Working Papers 19-6, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbwp:19-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Fitzgerald & Peter Gottschalk & Robert Moffitt, 1998. "An Analysis of Sample Attrition in Panel Data: The Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 33(2), pages 251-299.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kevin Bazer & Sílvio Rendon, 2021. "Individual and Local Effects of Unemployment on Mortgage Defaults," Working Papers 21-39, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    2. Ashleigh Eldemire & Kimberly F Luchtenberg & Matthew M Wynter, 2022. "Does Homeownership Reduce Wealth Disparities for Low-Income and Minority Households?," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 11(3), pages 465-510.
    3. Phillip B. Levine & Dubravka Ritter, 2024. "The racial wealth gap, financial aid, and college access," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(2), pages 555-581, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    household wealth; retirement assets; household survey data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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