biostudies-literatureKapelle NEuropean Research Council592-611https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9303434biostudies-literatureUnknown84(2)<h4>Objective</h4>To explore disparities in wealth trajectories between divorcees and continuously married individuals including moderation effects of remarriage and gender.<h4>Background</h4>Amid concerns of long-term economic consequences of divorce, research illustrated that ever-divorced individuals hold less wealth than the married preretirement. However, it remains unclear whether this is a direct result of immediate, lasting divorce-related wealth penalties or whether divorce also leads to long-term wealth accumulation disparities.<h4>Method</h4>Using personal-level, longitudinal wealth data from the Socio-Economic Panel Study, I applied propensity score and exact matching with random-effects growth models to compare wealth trajectories of divorcees and the married. The matching allowed (1) married controls to be assigned a theoretical divorce date for ease of comparability to the treatment group (i.e., divorcees) and (2) the account of a wide range of baseline differences.<h4>Results</h4>Wealth differences between ever-divorce and continuously married individuals stem from lasting disadvantage-particularly for housing wealth-generated immediately around divorce rather than a scarring of divorcees' wealth accumulation. Remarriage but particularly gender is relevant moderators. Whereas remarriage moderates net wealth trajectories through housing wealth, gender moderates trajectories through financial wealth.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Divorce importantly contributes to wealth stratification. Mitigation of divorce-related wealth penalties for both men and women needs to focus on immediate, but lasting costs of divorce particularly regarding homeownership.Journal of marriage and the familyTime cannot heal all wounds: Wealth trajectories of divorcees and the married.PMC9303434681546Kapelle NfalseTime cannot heal all wounds: Wealth trajectories of divorcees and the married.<h4>Objective</h4>To explore disparities in wealth trajectories between divorcees and continuously married individuals including moderation effects of remarriage and gender.<h4>Background</h4>Amid concerns of long-term economic consequences of divorce, research illustrated that ever-divorced individuals hold less wealth than the married preretirement. However, it remains unclear whether this is a direct result of immediate, lasting divorce-related wealth penalties or whether divorce also leads to long-term wealth accumulation disparities.<h4>Method</h4>Using personal-level, longitudinal wealth data from the Socio-Economic Panel Study, I applied propensity score and exact matching with random-effects growth models to compare wealth trajectories of divorcees and the married. The matching allowed (1) married controls to be assigned a theoretical divorce date for ease of comparability to the treatment group (i.e., divorcees) and (2) the account of a wide range of baseline differences.<h4>Results</h4>Wealth differences between ever-divorce and continuously married individuals stem from lasting disadvantage-particularly for housing wealth-generated immediately around divorce rather than a scarring of divorcees' wealth accumulation. Remarriage but particularly gender is relevant moderators. Whereas remarriage moderates net wealth trajectories through housing wealth, gender moderates trajectories through financial wealth.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Divorce importantly contributes to wealth stratification. Mitigation of divorce-related wealth penalties for both men and women needs to focus on immediate, but lasting costs of divorce particularly regarding homeownership.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2025-04-26T23:26:11.927Z2025-04-06T17:31:30.815ZS-EPMC93034343587492610.1111/jomf.12824