Abstract

Semilux-LIS^2ER Spring series

Marriage is widely considered to benefit individuals’ economic well-being, including their net worth. Yet establishing the role of marriage in wealth generation is complicated by the dynamic and reciprocal nature of marriage and wealth: marriage is both the result of prior wealth and a potential determinant of future wealth. In this paper, we use data from the NLSY79 and marginal structural models that account for these dynamic selection processes to estimate the effect marital histories on midlife wealth for American men and women.