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Assortative Mating Reinforces Inequality
- People tend to marry partners similar to themselves in race, education, and wealth, a phenomenon called assortative mating.
- This tendency reinforces social class boundaries and concentrates wealth across generations.
Subtle Signals Guide Mating Choices
- Even without explicit disclosure, people infer wealth from signals like education, car type, and vacation style.
- These inferred signals guide partner selection, sustaining assortative mating in societies without transparent financial data.
Wealthy Marriages Accelerate Asset Growth
- Wealthy couples tend to have one partner who is better at managing investments, accelerating wealth growth.
- Assortative mating amplifies wealth inequality through both wealth merging and superior asset management.