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Parental investments significantly impact children’s outcomes. Exploiting panel data covering individuals from birth to retirement, we estimate child skill production functions and embed them into an estimated dynastic model in which altruistic mothers and fathers make investments in their children. We find that time investments, educational investments, and assortative matching have a greater impact on generating inequality and intergenerational persistence than cash transfers. While education subsidies can reduce inequality, due to an estimated dynamic complementarity between time investments and education, it is crucial to announce them in advance to allow parents to adjust their investments when their children are young.
Authors
Research Fellow University of Bristol
Uta is an IFS Research Fellow and University of Bristol lecturer with an interest in the development of inequalities over the lifecycle.
CPP Co-Director
Eric is the Montague Burton Professor of Industrial Relations and Labour Economics at the University of Cambridge and Professor of Economics at UCL.
Research Scholar University College London
Research Associate Yale University
Cormac is a Research Associate of the IFS, an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Yale University and Research Fellow at the NBER.
Working Paper details
- DOI
- 10.1920/wp.ifs.2023.1123
- Publisher
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
Suggested citation
Bolt, U et al. (2023). Intergenerational altruism and transfers of time and money: a life cycle perspective. 23/11. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/intergenerational-altruism-and-transfers-time-and-money-life-cycle-perspective (accessed: 27 April 2024).
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