In this paper, we study how the portfolios of elderly U.S. households evolve after retirement, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). In particular, we investigate the influence of aging and health shocks on a household's ownership of various assets and on the dollar value and...

Examines effects of the 2008-09 financial downturn on all workers with particular attention to low-income older workers who stand to suffer the most, often retiring early because of lack of work; discusses the real effects of the stock market decline, falling house prices, and stagnant job...

Public programs that benefit older individuals, such as Social Security and Medicare, may be changed in the future in ways that reflect an expectation of longer work lives. But do older Americans have the health capacity to work longer? This paper explores this question by asking how much older...