Abstract:

Children are the individuals viewed as obligated to help & care for aging parents. As more couples decide to remain childless, a question arises as to who will perform these functions for these individuals as they age. Childless couples (CCs) may have to plan for a future in which they will have to pay individuals to provide these services. If so, CCs will need to plan differently for their futures than will couples with children (CWCs). Here, data from the National Survey of Families & Households are used to investigate differences in financial assets of CC & CWC couples. Results indicate that CCs ages 40-49 report having more savings, receiving more earnings from interest of dividends, & having more total investments than CWCs of the same age. CCs ages 50-59 who have purchased a home are more likely than CWCs in the same age bracket to buy a more expensive home. Additionally, CCs ages 40-59 report having paid more in down payments for their homes than CWCs of the same ages.