TY - RPRT T1 - Debt and Financial Vulnerability on the Verge of Retirement Y1 - 2017 A1 - Annamaria Lusardi A1 - Olivia S. Mitchell A1 - Oggero, Noemi KW - Consumption and Savings KW - Debt KW - Retirement Planning and Satisfaction AB - We analyze older individuals’ debt and financial vulnerability using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS). Specifically, in the HRS we examine three different cohorts (individuals age 56-61) in 1992, 2004, and 2010 to evaluate cross-cohort changes in debt over time. We also use two waves of the NFCS (2012 and 2015) to gain additional insights into debt management and older individuals’ capacity to shield themselves against shocks. We show that recent cohorts have taken on more debt and face more financial insecurity, mostly due to having purchased more expensive homes with smaller down payments. JF - NBER Working Paper Series PB - National Bureau of Economic Research CY - Cambridge, MA UR - http://www.nber.org/papers/w23664.pdf ER -