The Joint Distribution of Net Worth and Pension Wealth in Germany

44 Pages Posted: 8 Jul 2016

See all articles by Timm Boenke

Timm Boenke

Free University of Berlin (FUB) - Department of Business and Economics

Markus Grabka

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin)

Carsten Schröder

Free University of Berlin (FUB) - Department of Business and Economics

Edward N. Wolff

New York University (NYU) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Bard College - Levy Economics Institute

Lennard Zyska

KU Eichstaett-Ingolstadt - Department of Economics and Business Administration

Date Written: July 2016

Abstract

Research on wealth inequality usually focuses on real and financial assets, while pension wealth – the present value of future pension entitlements from public and company pension schemes – receives little attention. This is astonishing, given that pension plans play an important role for material security and well‐being for an overwhelming part of the population and, thus, should be accounted for in peoples’ wealth portfolios. Using novel data from the Socio Economic Panel (SOEP), we show the incidence, relevance, and distribution of individual pension wealth, net worth, and augmented wealth (the sum of the two) in Germany. Further, we investigate age‐wealth‐profiles and differences between East and West Germany.

Keywords: net worth, pension wealth, augmented wealth, SOEP, age wealth profiles

JEL Classification: D31, H55, J32

Suggested Citation

Boenke, Timm P. and Grabka, Markus and Schröder, Carsten and Wolff, Edward N. and Zyska, Lennard, The Joint Distribution of Net Worth and Pension Wealth in Germany (July 2016). SOEPpaper No. 853, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2806928 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2806928

Timm P. Boenke (Contact Author)

Free University of Berlin (FUB) - Department of Business and Economics ( email )

Boltzmannstrasse 20
D-14195 Berlin, 14195
Germany

Markus Grabka

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) ( email )

Mohrenstrasse 58
SOEP
D-10117 Berlin
Germany
+49-30-89789-339 (Phone)
+49-30-89789-109 (Fax)

Carsten Schröder

Free University of Berlin (FUB) - Department of Business and Economics ( email )

Boltzmannstrasse 20
D-14195 Berlin, 14195
Germany
+49 030 838-52259 (Phone)
+49 030 838-52560 (Fax)

Edward N. Wolff

New York University (NYU) - Department of Economics ( email )

269 Mercer Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10011
United States
212-998-8917 (Phone)
212-995-4186 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Bard College - Levy Economics Institute

Blithewood
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
United States

Lennard Zyska

KU Eichstaett-Ingolstadt - Department of Economics and Business Administration ( email )

Auf der Schanz 49
Ingolstadt, D-85049
Germany
+049 (0) 841 / 937 - 21836 (Phone)

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