Researchers, Stephanie Moulton, Caezilia Loibl, and Donald Haurin, from The Ohio State University shared study background and findings for their research on “Debt Stress and Mortgage Borrowing in Older Age: Implications for Economic Security in Retirement”, which was funded through the Social Security Administration’s Retirement and Disability Research Consortium.

The amount of financial debt held by seniors in the U.S. has grown substantially over the past decade. Prior research links higher levels of debt to increased psychological stress and decreased physical health. For seniors, these effects may be worsened by fixed incomes and a limited ability to offset debts by working. In this webinar, researchers will present their findings on the stress associated with different forms of debt held by seniors and explore the relationships between different types and timing of mortgage debt and older adults’ decisions regarding labor force participation and claiming of Social Security Benefits. Discussants, Laurie Goodman from the Urban Institute and Nadia Karamcheva with the Congressional Budget Office, will provide remarks following the research presentation, which further explore the study implications around reverse mortgages and debt and early retirement claiming.