Several models of economic behavior currently compete for an explanation of individual wealth accumulation and savings patterns. In this paper we focus in particular upon the role of income uncertainty, and the role played by a retirement period, during which time expected earnings are zero. We find that income uncertainty can alter savings patterns over the lifecycle significantly, with the greatest influence on the wealth of young individuals. However, its influence on the aggregate stock of wealth is less than earlier theoretical work indicates.

It is well known that an uncertain income stream will induce individuals to save if they are forward looking. In this paper we investigate the consequences of such saving upon the distribution of wealth among households. The inquiry is motivated by the fact that both the dispersion of the U.S. wealth distribution and the variance of transitory income have increased in the recent past. Surprisingly, we find that an increase in earnings uncertainty is more likely to decrease than increase the inequality in wealth holdings.

Aging is a process that encompasses virtually all aspects of life. Because the speed of population aging is accelerating, and because the data needed to study the aging process are complex and expensive to obtain, it is imperative that countries coordinate their research efforts to reap the most benefits from this important information. Preparing for an Aging World looks at the behavioral and socioeconomic aspects of aging, and focuses on work, retirement, and pensions; wealth and savings behavior; health and disability; intergenerational transfers; and concepts of well-being. It makes recommendations for a collection of new, cross-national data on aging populationsâ€"data that will allow nations to develop policies and programs for addressing the major shifts in population age structure now occurring. These efforts, if made internationally, would advance our understanding of the aging process around the world.