This paper examines demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as predictors of emergency fund adequacy in Australian households. The results indicate that the presence of children, the number of dependents and income-earning units, the age and ethnicity of the household head, income...

The "debt-overhang hypothesis" - that households cut back more on their spending in a crisis when they have higher levels of outstanding mortgage debt (Dynan, 2012) - seems to be taken for granted by macroprudential authorities in several countries in their policy decisions, as well as by the...