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Cognitive Health, Household Financial Decision-Making, and Intrahousehold Financial Spillovers

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Abstract

We study the spillover effects of cognitive decline in one member of a coupled household on the financial outcomes of their partner and assess how “own” and spillover effects are moderated by the structure of household financial decision-making. We use a large, nationally representative longitudinal data set spanning 2000-2017 that includes credit report data merged at the individual level with Medicare claims and enrollment data. We find the own adverse financial consequences of cognitive decline depend on household financial integration and other characteristics associated with household financial management, and find significant, albeit smaller (vs own), adverse financial spillover effects on partners.

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  • Carole Roan Gresenz & Jean M Mitchell & R. Scott Turner & Wilbert Van der Klaauw & Crystal Wang, 2025. "Cognitive Health, Household Financial Decision-Making, and Intrahousehold Financial Spillovers," Staff Reports 1169, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:101955
    DOI: 10.59576/sr.1169
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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