Lowell R. Ricketts
Data Scientist, Institute for Economic Equity
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Lowell R. Ricketts is a data scientist for the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He regularly conducts quantitative research, produces content for a diverse range of audiences, and shares his expertise through speaking engagements. His primary research interests include:
- Examining how wealth is distributed in the United States, especially when including demographic factors (e.g., the racial wealth divide)
- The dynamics of consumer debt, including the likelihood of loan default and the growing usage of student loans
- Participation in the labor market, particularly among workers who are more vulnerable to vicissitudes of the economy
His work has appeared in top peer-reviewed academic journals, such as the Journal of Financial Economics; prominent periodicals, such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times; and widely viewed broadcasts, such as Bloomberg "Triple Take" and on CNBC.
Ricketts previously conducted research at the St. Louis Fed’s Center for Household Financial Stability, which became part of the Institute for Economic Equity in 2021. He began his career in the St. Louis Fed’s Research division working for Christopher Waller, who now sits on the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors, and other staff economists.
Ricketts earned a master’s degree in statistics from Washington University in St. Louis, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with a math emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Featured Publications
- Millennials and Older Gen Zers Made Significant Wealth Gains in 2022
with Ana H. Kent, St. Louis Fed, On the Economy, Feb. 26, 2024 - U.S. Wealth Inequality: Gaps Remain Despite Widespread Wealth Gains
with Ana H. Kent, St. Louis Fed, Open Vault, Feb. 7, 2024 - Real Estate Helped Drive Wealth Gains during the Pandemic
with Ana H. Kent, St. Louis Fed, On the Economy, Aug. 8, 2023 - How Equitable Wealth Outcomes Could Create a Resilient and Larger Economy
with Ana H. Kent, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, On the Economy, Feb. 28, 2023 - Human Capital Investment After the Storm
with Stephen B. Billings and Emily A. Gallagher, The Review of Financial Studies, Jan. 5, 2023 - Let the Rich Be Flooded: The Unequal Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Household Debt
with Stephen B. Billings and Emily A. Gallagher, Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 146, No. 2, November 2022
Journal Publications
- Human Capital Investment After the Storm
with Stephen B. Billings and Emily A. Gallagher, The Review of Financial Studies, Jan. 5, 2023 - Let the Rich Be Flooded: The Unequal Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Household Debt
with Stephen B. Billings and Emily A. Gallagher, Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 146, No. 2, November 2022 - Is College Still Worth It? The New Calculus of Falling Returns
with William R. Emmons and Ana H. Kent, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, Vol. 101, No. 4, Fourth Quarter 2019 - College Is Not Enough: Higher Education Does Not Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Wealth Gaps
with William R. Emmons, St. Louis Fed Review, Vol. 99, No. 1, First Quarter 2017 - The Homeownership Experience of Minorities During the Great Recession
with Carlos Garriga and Don E. Schlagenhauf, St. Louis Fed Review, Vol. 99, No. 1, First Quarter 2017
Working Papers
- Methodological Nuance in the Survey of Consumer Finances: Prioritizing Usage of the Respondent Over the Reference Person
with Ana H. Kent, Institute for Economic Equity Working Paper
Short Articles
- The State of Economic Equity: Challenges and Opportunities for Advancing Economic Security among U.S. Young Adults
with Nishesh Chalise, Violeta Gutkowski, Alice L. Kassens, Ana H. Kent, William M. Rodgers III, and Nicole Summers-Gabr, March 26, 2024 - When Does It Make Sense for Households to Borrow?
with Ngina Chiteji, Open Vault, Jan. 24, 2024 - Where Are Labor Markets the Tightest? A Tale of the 100 Largest US Cities
with Cassie Marks, William M. Rodgers III, and Hannah Rubinton, Economic Synopses, Dec. 15, 2023 - How Low- and Moderate-Income Households Are Coping with Inflation
Bridges, Aug. 23, 2023 - How Might Transforming Highways Impact Community Wealth?
with Jeffrey P. Cohen, Bridges, Nov. 17, 2022 - Why St. Louisans Could Have Different Recoveries after Flooding
with Emily A. Gallagher, Open Vault, Sept. 14, 2022 - Plasma Donations Curb Demand for Payday Loans
with Emily A. Gallagher and John M. Dooley, Economic Equity Insights, Sept. 8, 2022 - How Does Gen Z Student Debt Compare with Millennials’?
with Ana H. Kent, On the Economy, Aug. 25, 2022 - Older Americans Faced Early Pandemic Credit Constraints
with Meta Brown, J. Michael Collins and Stephanie Moulton, Economic Equity Insights, July 14, 2022 - How the Pandemic Affected Savings and Debts, and How We Can Build Wealth for All
with Ray Boshara, Sara Chaganti and Ana H. Kent, Fed Communities, July 13, 2022 - Navigating a Time of Transition for St. Louis Mortgage Debt
Open Vault, June 22, 2022 - Eighth District Eviction Filings Climb toward Pre-Pandemic Levels
with Faith Weekly, Bridges, June 2, 2022 - Arrival of Interstate Highway System Brought Housing Wealth, but to Whom?
with Jeffrey P. Cohen, Economic Equity Insights, May 10, 2022 - History’s Lasting Imprint on the Racial Wealth Gap
with Ray Boshara and Ana H. Kent, Open Vault, March 9, 2022 - Household Debt Relief Enters Critical Transition Period
On the Economy, March 1, 2022 - The Great Retirement: Who Are the Retirees?
with William M. Rodgers, III, On the Economy, Jan. 4, 2022 - Disparities by Race, Ethnicity and Education Underlie Millennials’ Comeback in Wealth
with Ana H. Kent, On the Economy, April 1, 2021 - Millennials Are Catching Up in Terms of Generational Wealth
with Ana H. Kent, On the Economy, March 29, 2021 - Wealth Gaps between White, Black and Hispanic Families in 2019
with Ana H. Kent, On the Economy, March 29, 2021 - Has Wealth Inequality in America Changed over Time? Here Are Key Statistics
with Ana H. Kent, Open Vault, Dec. 2, 2020
Reports & Essays
- How Should We Finance Postsecondary Education: Debt, Private Wealth or Public Wealth? (PDF)
with Fabian T. Pfeffer, The Future of Building Wealth, Sept. 2021 - Unequal Starting Points: A Demographic Lens Is Key for Inclusive Wealth Building (PDF)
with Ana H. Kent, The Future of Building Wealth, Sept. 2021
Op-Eds
- As Mortgage Relief Ends, Racial Equity Issues Loom Large
The St. Louis American, June 10, 2022 - Ricketts: As Mortgage Relief Expires, Racial Equity Issues Loom Large
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 9, 2022
Podcasts
- Retirements Increased During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Who Retired and Why?
with Miguel Faria-E-Castro, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Timely Topics, March 30, 2022 - Economic Equity: Millennials and the Racial Divide
with Ana H. Kent, St. Louis Fed Timely Topics: Economic Equity, Nov. 10, 2021 - Economic Equity: Demographics
with William R. Emmons and Ana H. Kent, St. Louis Fed Timely Topics: Economic Equity, Sept. 30, 2020 - Families Most Vulnerable to Income Shock and COVID-19
with Ray Boshara, St. Louis Fed Timely Topics, May 4, 2020
- Aug. 27, 2022. Remarks. Why Americans Are Drowning in Debt. During an interview on CNBC News
- March 31, 2022. Remarks (begin at 14:20). Comments on the Great Retirement. During an interview on Bloomberg Markets Triple Take
- Nov. 19, 2019. Presentation. “The Insecurity of Aging: The Retirement Savings Crisis and the Hazards of Homeownership (PDF).” big.bright.minds in Durham, NC
- Oct. 29, 2019. Video. Economic Challenges Facing Black Men and Boys. The Hooks Institute Open House and Policy Papers Presentation, Memphis, Tenn.
- April 17, 2018. Keynote Presentation. A Lost Generation? Young Families after the Great Recession. Dialogue with the Fed, St. Louis, Mo.
