Karen C. Holden

Professor of Consumer Science and Public Affairs
201 Observatory Hill Office Building
1225 Observatory Drive
(608) 263-9283
holden@lafollette.wisc.edu


Curriculum Vitae

Research Interest Statement
Holden’s current research is in three areas: economic well-being of elderly with a focus on widows, adequacy and predictors of retirement savings, and financial literacy. Her recent research concerns the psychological adjustments to widowhood and whether financial resources and the security of those resources make a difference. Her finding that economic resources are important to the psychological well-being upon widowhood is important because it suggests that widowhood itself does not make widows feel more financially insecure, as has been suggested by some researchers. Work with Haveman and Wolfe on savings adequacy indicates that while on average more recent cohorts of retirees enjoy greater absolute and annuitized wealth, social adequacy targets are less well met over time. They show the continued vulnerability to poverty of nonwhites, women, single individuals, and those with low education levels. In her work on financial literacy, Holden is investigating the preparation of those who are being asked to teach financial literacy—school teachers—and finds serious gaps. Current teachers lack financial literacy education, students in teacher preparation programs are unlikely to have taken any related courses, and faculty in education programs do not teach or feel competent to teach financial literacy.

CDE Research Theme Working Groups
Demography of Inequality
Health and Mortality
Fertility/Families and Households