The Role of Cohabitation in Asset and Debt Accumulation During Marriage

Painter, Matthew A.; Vespa, Jonathan

doi:10.1007/s10834-012-9310-7

Cited by 17 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Investment models cast homeownership as a partnership-specific investment that acts to increase partners' joint commitments, as well as the financial costs and legal complexity of separating (Becker, Landes, and Michael 1977;Rainer and Smith 2010;Rusbult 1983). This perspective also explains how tenure selection affects separation, as those with longterm plans and expectations of relationship stability are disproportionately likely to enter homeownership in the first place (Feijten 2005;Lersch and Vidal 2014;Painter and Vespa 2012). In Anglophone societies with strong ideologies of property ownership (Ronald 2008), the greater legal control and security offered by homeownership may further promote partnership stability by enhancing social status and allowing couples more freedom to construct a joint identity and a shared sense of 'home' (Hoolachan et al 2017).…”

Section: Housing As a Legal Institutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new look at the housing antecedents of separation

Coulter¹,

Thomas

2019

DemRes

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BACKGROUND Research connecting partnership dissolution to housing dynamics usually concentrates on the adverse and gendered effects of separation on housing careers. Much less is known about whether housing circumstances are also influential antecedents of separation. OBJECTIVES This paper examines how three dimensions of housing circumstances are associated with separation: (1) legal arrangements of housing tenure and gendered housing contracts; (2) the lived environment (space) within dwellings; and (3) couples' ability to meet housing payments. METHODS This theoretical framework is tested using event history probit models of separation among a large sample of couples drawn from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). Coulter & Thomas: A new look at the housing antecedents of separation 726 http://www.demographic-research.org CONTRIBUTION These results suggest that growing difficulties obtaining secure and affordable housing could have negative consequences for partnership stability. We therefore call for researchers to engage more thoroughly with housing as a potential driver of demographic change.

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Section: Housing As a Legal Institutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new look at the housing antecedents of separation

Coulter¹,

Thomas

2019

DemRes

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“…Previous studies have found an association between marital status and wealth at the household level. Continuously married spouses in their first marriages have more net wealth than the (cohabiting and non-cohabiting) never married, divorced and widowed during mid-life and at older ages (Addo and Lichter 2013;Halpern-Manners et al 2015;Holden and Kuo 1996;Keister 2003;Land and Russell 1996;Lupton and Smith 2003;Painter et al 2015;Painter and Vespa 2012;Sierminska et al 2010;Torche and Spilerman 2009;Wilmoth and Koso 2002 The association holds across the wealth distribution, but seems to be larger at the top of the distribution (Addo and Lichter 2013;Lupton and Smith 2003;Schmidt and Sevak 2006). When considering distinct wealth components, Addo and Lichter (2013) found the marriage premium to be mostly concentrated in housing wealth.…”

Section: Prior Empirical Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 The normative and legal obligations towards the spouse and potential children may also increase savings and particular investments such as life insurances (Hao 1996). The normative and legal obligations and the expectation of relationship stability associated with marriage are the main reason why the married are expected to accumulate more wealth than cohabitants (Painter and Vespa 2012). 3 In addition, marriage is culturally linked to investments in homeownership in many societies as an aspect of "nest building".…”

Section: Explanations For a Household-level Marriage Wealth Premiummentioning

confidence: 99%

The Marriage Wealth Premium Revisited

Lersch¹

2017

Preprint

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This study examines the association between marriage and economic wealth of women and men. Going beyond previous research, which focused on household wealth, I examine personal wealth which allows identifying gender disparities in the association between marriage and wealth. Using unique data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (2002, 2007, 2012), I apply random-effects and fixed-effects regression models to test my expectations. I find that both, women and men, experience substantial marriage wealth premiums not only in household but also in personal wealth. I do not find consistent evidence for gender disparities in these general marriage premiums. Additional analyses indicate, however, that women’s marriage premiums are substantially lower than men’s premiums in older cohorts and when only considering non-housing wealth. Overall, this study provides new evidence that women and men gain unequally in their wealth attainment through marriage.

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“…Furthermore, cohabiting couples are less likely to have joint bank accounts, or to be satisfied with parenting roles, and cohabitors with children have lower relationship quality (Glezer 1997). Cohabitors have different financial trajectories to couples who marry directly (Painter and Vespa 2012), and women aged 30-65 in cohabiting couples have more concerns about their financial futures than women in first marriages (Malone et al 2010). Cohabiting couples tend to be more concerned with creating an equitable relationship (Baxter 2001;Sprecher and Schwartz 1994).…”

Section: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Stepfathers’ Obligations to Financially Support Stepchildren

2015

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The perceived fairness of financial arrangements following divorce and repartnering have significant ramifications for social policy and family well-being, yet relatively little is known about public opinion regarding the extent of stepparents' financial responsibility towards stepchildren's living costs. This study investigated perceptions of stepfathers' obligation to financially support stepchildren using quantitative and qualitative methods, and built on previous research by including contextual variables to explore the processes underpinning judgements of kinship responsibilities using a distributive justice framework. Data from a community sample in Western Australia (N = 200) showed a large amount of variability in responses, however most participants believed stepfathers should contribute financially to some extent. Significant reductions in perceived obligations were associated with both cohabiting relationship status and maternal employment, but not with the presence of prior child support commitments by the stepfather. This study highlights the heterogeneity and complexity of attitudes around this issue and associated social policies.

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The Role of Cohabitation in Asset and Debt Accumulation During Marriage

Cited by 17 publications

References 53 publications

A new look at the housing antecedents of separation

A new look at the housing antecedents of separation

The Marriage Wealth Premium Revisited

Perceptions of Stepfathers’ Obligations to Financially Support Stepchildren

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