Financial Inclusion Working Paper

Family Matters: Kin Networks and Asset Accumulation

Social sciences research has long recognized that the characteristics of an individual’s family and the relationships among family members can have important implications for the individual’s economic outcomes. Among the interesting findings emerging from this literature are insights regarding (1) the effect of having numerous siblings, (2) involvement in kin networks, (3) the volume of inter-family transfers in the United States, (4) the motives for and consequences of such transfers, and (5) the economic circumstances experienced by different branches of a family tree. This paper explores the connection between these family matters and saving behavior.

Project: Inclusion in Asset Building: Research and Policy Symposium

Citation

Chiteji, N., & Hamilton, D. (2000). Family matters: Kin networks and asset accumulation (CSD Working Paper No. 00-6). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.