Ep 48: Housing Wealth and Retirement with Jaclene Begley

Housing is the largest source of wealth for most U.S. households, and wealth influences household decisions and opportunities in myriad ways. One is work: when people experience a significant loss of wealth, such as during an economic recession, they may remain in the workforce longer than planned, or even come out of retirement and return to work. But housing wealth is different from a stock portfolio or other assets, and previous research has failed to establish clear links between rising or falling home values and retirement decisions. Jaclene Begley joins us to discuss new research that establishes a connection, but with surprising nuances. We discuss what makes housing wealth unique, and the ways it affects work and retirement decisions differently for men than women, when home values rise rather than fall, and when housing wealth declines a little rather than a lot. We also step back and talk about the broader consequences of relying on housing as most households' primary source of wealth and retirement nest egg.

Show notes:

• Begley, J., & Chan, S. (2018). The effect of housing wealth shocks on work and retirement decisions. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 73, 180-195.
• Quigley, J. M., & Raphael, S. (2004). Is housing unaffordable? Why isn't it more affordable? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(1), 191-214.