The impact of immigrant status and racial/ethnic group on differences in responses to a risk aversion measure

Factors related to differences in risk aversion were analyzed with a measure of risk aversion inferred from answers to a hypothetical income gamble question in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. Cumulative logistic regressions, controlling for income, age, gender, health status, current job status, and home ownership, showed that Blacks were more risk averse than Whites, but Hispanics born in the United States were not different from Whites. U.S. born respondents in an other group, largely Asian, were also not different from Whites. Hispanics and those in the other group who were immigrants were more risk averse than Whites. Racial/ethnic differences found in other risk aversion studies may be partly due to differences in immigrant status. 2013 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.