Abstract
The aims of this study were to analyze middle-aged households' financial preparation for retirement. Specifically, this study surveyed the relation between human capital investment for children and the middle-aged households' financial preparation for retirement and investigated factors influencing financial preparation for retirement. Data were obtained from the 3rd Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS) in 2009, and a sample of 757 households was selected. The statistical methods were frequency, percentile, mean, standard deviation, ${\chi}^2$, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analysis. The findings of this study are as follows. First, the percentile of preparation for living costs for old age was 49.9% for the middle-aged households. In terms of the types of preparation for living costs for old age, the results showed 61.6% of personal preparation, 33.9% of pension system, and 1.3% for children and relatives. In relation to the adequacy of the preparations for living costs for old age, preparations made by 57.4% of the middle-aged households were inadequate. Observing the minimum living costs for old age and adequate living costs after retirement for single and couple, the minimum living costs of the middle-aged households was 1.46 million won for couple and 0.91 million won for single. The adequate living costs for old age was 2.07 million won for couple and 1.34 million won for single. Second, there were 757 households with total education expenditure. Of these, 208 incurred annual expenditure on public education, and the annual expenditure for public education was 7.28 million won. There were 170 households with annual expenditure for private education, and the annual expenditure for private education was 2.50 million won. 243 households of middle-aged households had annual expenditure for human capital investment, including both public and private education, with annual expenditure for human capital investment for children of 7.82 million won. Furthermore, in the human capital investment factor, there was a difference in the middle-aged households' financial preparation for retirement according to their annual expenditure for human capital investment including both public and private education. In addition, there was a difference in financial preparation for retirement based on their public education expenditure. Third, in the logistic regression model 1, which included human capital investment, the significant variables affecting the preparation for retirement of the middle-aged households were as follows : annual household income, total amount of annual household income, experience of inadequate living costs, existence of financial assets, total amount of annual household savings, financial independence, adequate living costs (for single) for old age, and human capital investment. In the logistic regression model 2, which included annual expenditure for public education and annual expenditure for private education, the significant variables affecting the preparation for retirement of the middle-aged households were as follows : annual household income, total amount of annual household income, experience of inadequate living costs, existence of financial assets, total amount of annual household savings, financial independence, adequate living costs (for single) for old age, and annual expenditure for public education.