• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.613-629
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• 2005

This research analyzes household financial structures and ratios to understand factors of household utility. Its main themes are as following: First, what kinds financial structures are found at each level of income? Second, how are they different by the level of income? Third, what factors contribute to appropriate financial ratios? The themes are supported by the texts on financial ratios from both inside and outside of Korea and proved by the Korean Labor and Income Panel Survey, the fifth annual edition. The households are exempted that do not support the household principle record in the principle and household economy record. Accordingly, this survey is from a financial structure analysis of 3,762 households. The analysis utilizes SPSS Window (Version 10.0) program. The following are the results: First, the income level 4 and above, in which the increasing number indicates a higher level of income, are highly ranked on the income-expense level and the asset-debt rate. Also, level 4 has a strong financial structure, whereas level 1 does not. Apparently, the management of the household is complicated by debt redemption and a lower level of assets. Second, Ratio 1, Ratio 2, Ratio 4, and Ratio 5 are different by the level of income. Third, the level of income contributes to the appropriate financial ratio. The financial safety and prospective financial structure at each income level is an important variable. Households with a high income, in particular, have to balance their finances and capital, reducing liabilities and increasing the total assets. In other words, the family must hold assets to enhance efficiency according to the character and income level of the household. This research is a useful resource for such a decision-making as to improve household financial structure stability. Also, it can be adopted to evaluate financial products for specific households and be used for economic and social welfare planning to predict how households influence the nationwide economy.