Marriage, Marital History, and Black – White Wealth Differentials Among Older Women

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of union history and marital transitions on wealth inequality between older Black and White women (N = 7,026). Cohort data from the Health and Retirement Study show large and increasing Black – White differences in wealth. Marital and relationship histories are associated with the wealth accumulation process among older women. Women who married and stay married accumulated levels of wealth that exceeded those of other women with disrupted family lives. The marriage – wealth nexus is sensitive to a woman's position in the wealth distribution. Quantile regression results revealed that racial differences in total wealth holdings between Black and White women exist throughout the wealth distribution, whereas the relationship between current union history and wealth differentials is significant at the lower tail and middle of the distribution. Decomposition analyses highlighted the nontrivial role of racial disparities in marital histories in accounting for the racial wealth gap. As members of the baby boom generation enter their retirement years, it will be more important than ever to monitor the wealth accumulation process among older single and racial/ethnic minority women.

Taking It One Day at a Time: African American Women Aging with HIV and Co-Morbidities

“…This is particularly problematic for older African American women who are at increased risk of living in poverty and/or being unmarried. 20 Furthermore, reduced income due to retirement or loss of employment may serve as an additional barrier for many older African American women to access needed health care in order to optimize their self-management behaviors. 21 Marital status is significant to consider regarding older African American women's chronic illness self-management because research demonstrates that marriage may be a protective factor against poverty for many women 20 and spouses can be an important source of social support for chronic illness self-management.…”

“…20 Furthermore, reduced income due to retirement or loss of employment may serve as an additional barrier for many older African American women to access needed health care in order to optimize their self-management behaviors. 21 Marital status is significant to consider regarding older African American women's chronic illness self-management because research demonstrates that marriage may be a protective factor against poverty for many women 20 and spouses can be an important source of social support for chronic illness self-management. 22,23 A qualitative study conducted with five HIV positive African American women ages 29-49, reveals that women's perceptions of receiving emotional support from their spouses positively contributes to women's HIV coping and self-management strategies.…”

Women’s Retirement Intentions and Behavior: The Role of Childbearing and Marital Histories

“…The low household income of women in the years after divorce (Poortman 2000) might limit the possibilities to retire early. Compared with women who have continuously been married, women who have ever been divorced have been found to have accumulated significantly lower wealth in preretirement years, though remarriage partly offsets the negative effects of a prior divorce (Addo and Lichter 2013;Holden and Kuo 1996;Wilmoth and Koso 2002). As noted by Szinovacz and DeViney (2000), "a history of marital disruptions can be expected to lower the economic feasibility of retirement even among remarried individuals" (p.477).…”

Family Histories and Women's Retirement: The Role of Childbearing and Marital Experiences

“…Price and Ginn 2003) and have been found to have lower (pension) income in old age as compared to married (Arber 2004;Arber et al 2003;Fokkema and Van Solinge 2000;Vartanian and McNamara 2002;Yabiku 2000) or never married women (Fasang et al 2012;McDonald and Robb 2004). They also accumulate less wealth than women who have continuously been married (Addo and Lichter 2013).…”