Retirement and household financial headship: Evidence from England

Retirement reduces personal income and may shift the balance of bargaining power between partners in elderly couples. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, I show that male partners are significantly less likely to be the household financial respondent once they retire, while no significant change for “who has the final say” over major financial decisions. Overall, results suggest a decline of men control in everyday financial matters, but no significant reallocation of bargaining power for formal financial choices.