The effect of Social Security on divorce and remarriage behavior

The effect of Social Security on divorce and remarriage behavior

The

effect of Social Security on divorce and remarriage behavior

Dickert-Conlin

Stacy

Dickert-Conlin, Stacy

Author

Author

Meghea

Cristian

Meghea, Cristian

Author

Author

text

working paper

Chestnut Hill, Mass. Center for Retirement Research at Boston College20042004monographic

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

2004

2004

monographic

Englisheng

English

eng

electronicapplication/pdfborn digital

electronic

application/pdf

born digital

This paper investigates the effects of economic incentives on divorce and remarriage behavior. Before December 1977, the Social Security law entitled divorcees to claim auxiliary benefits on their ex-spouses record only if the marriage lasted at least 20 years. One of the 1977 amendments of the Social Security rules shortened the minimum duration of an eligible marriage to ten years. Following the passage of the law, we find that the divorce rate at nine years of marriage decreased relative to a control group. However, there is not strong evidence of a corresponding increase in the divorce rate at ten years of marriage. We also find no evidence that the new claim on future Social Security benefits affected divorced womens remarriage probability in the predicted way.

Stacy Dickert-Conlin and Cristian Meghea.

CRR WP2004-9

CRR WP2004-9

CRR WP

2004-9

http://crr.bc.edu/images/stories/Working_Papers/wp_2004-09.pdf

MChBEnglisheng

MChB

Englisheng

English

eng