Gender Difference and Intra-Household Economic Power in Mortgage Signing Order
48 Pages Posted: 12 Jun 2015 Last revised: 20 Jan 2018
Date Written: November 11, 2017
Abstract
This paper adopts a novel approach to examine the roles of gender difference and intra-household economic power in mortgage signing order. We develop an “economic power” index based on relative economic power within the same-sex couple households. We then use this measure along with gender identity and other factors to explain signing order in different-gender couples. Our results suggest that, while pure economic power explains much of the observed signing order, gender difference plays an important role. Exploit regional variation reveals that gender difference in signing order is greater in states with a larger gender wage gap and red states whose residents predominantly vote for the Republican.
Keywords: Gender Difference, Economic Power, Mortgage Application, Household Finance
JEL Classification: A12, G02, J16, R2
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