Wealth, Assets and Inequality

The level of wealth inequality in the UK (and globally) is extremely high, and over the last decade or so attention has increasingly turned to the widening wealth gap.

CHASM’s unique contribution to research on financial risk and insecurity stems in part from its focus on wealth and assets, not just income. Our research investigates the acquisition, use, and distribution of personal wealth across different groups in society, focusing on three kinds of personal wealth in particular: pensions, property and financial savings/investments.

Current Projects

Causal Evidence on the Economic Effects of Neighbourhood Segregation
Danny McGowan, Christoph Görtz and Hisham Farag

Monitoring Financial inclusion in the UK 
Karen Rowlingson and Stephen McKay

Help to Buy: Intergenerational financial support for home ownership 
Louise Overton and Julia Cook

Previous Projects

Towards a Riches Line: Do people agree on what it means to be 'rich'? 
Karen Rowlingson

Responsibilities, Ethics and the Financial Crisis (2012-2015) 
Tom Sorell, Andrew Mullineux, Karen Rowlingson and Lindsey Appleyard

Mind the (Housing) Wealth Gap: Intergenerational justice and family welfare 
Beverley Searle and Karen Rowlingson

Policy Commission on the Distribution of Wealth (2013) 
Karen Rowlingson and Andy Lymer

Attitudes to inequality 
Karen Rowlingson with Michael Orton of Warwick University and the National Centre for Social Research

The National Audit Office – University of Birmingham Tax Centre 
Kimberley Scharf

Demographic change and housing wealth (DEMHOW) 
John Doling

Improving financial wellbeing for those on lower incomes - the Help to Save Project 
Andy Lymer, Karen Rowlingson, James Gregory

Towards a savings manifesto for lower-income households (Feb-Sept 2016)
Karen Rowlingson, James Gregory and Andy Lymer

More research themes in CHASM