Gender Differences in Inter Vivos Transfers

Abigail Loxton (aloxton@iu.edu)
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Abigail Loxton: Department of Economics Indiana University

No 2019-002, CAEPR Working Papers from Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington

Abstract: To what extent do parents exhibit preferential treatment for one gender with respect to financial gifts to children? Using the Health and Retirement Study from 1992-2014, I estimate differences in the frequency and magnitude of gifts to sons and daughters. Conditional on a transfer, there is no evidence of differences in amounts between sons and daughters. However parents give to daughters at higher rates. I explore potential mechanisms for this disparity: in particular, I address the altruism and exchange motives for inter vivos transfers. I find that the difference in giving rates is partially explained by higher expected rates of future care from daughters. Even after controlling for discrepancy in care-taking, income levels, and other observable characteristics, parents are still 10-20% more likely to give a transfer to their daughters. The discrepancy in giving rates is driven by unmarried children: once daughters marry they are less likely to receive a transfer.

Keywords: inter vivos transfers; gender differences; altruism; informal care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D15 D64 J14 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25 pages
Date: 2019-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age and nep-gen
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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