Increases in Wealth Among the Elderly in the Early 1990s: How Much is Due to Survey Design?

TitleIncreases in Wealth Among the Elderly in the Early 1990s: How Much is Due to Survey Design?
Publication TypeReport
Year of Publication2004
AuthorsRohwedder, S, Haider, S, Hurd, MD
Series TitleNBER Working Paper
Document Number10862
InstitutionThe National Bureau of Economic Research
CityCambridge, MA
Call Numberwp_2004/NBER_w10862.pdf
KeywordsMethodology, Net Worth and Assets
Abstract

The Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) study shows a large increase in reported total wealth between 1993 and 1995. Such an increase is not found in other US household surveys around that period. This paper examines one source of this difference. We find that in AHEAD 1993 ownership rates of stocks, CDs, bonds, and checking and saving accounts were underreported, resulting in under-measurement of wealth in 1993, and a substantial increase in wealth from 1993 to 1995. The explanation for the under-reporting is a combination of question sequence and wording in the AHEAD survey instrument.
DOI10.3386/w10862
Endnote Keywords

Wealth/Survey Methods
Endnote ID

13772
Citation Key5598