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Low-cost debt can potentially enhance wealth and indirectly benefit health, yet Black Americans disproportionately lack this type of debt, which may constrain their ability to accumulate wealth throughout their lives and across generations. Our objectives are to develop a novel debt–asset measure, use it to quantify the Black–White differential in debt–asset profiles, and estimate its contribution to the racial gap in cognition.

Using the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2020), we grouped individuals based on debt and asset information during the preretirement period of ages 55–61, including the absence of debt and the relative amount of debt compared to assets. Linear mixed models were used to examine the extent to which cognition in later life (ages 62–80) differs across these debt–asset profiles and its role in explaining the racial disparity in cognition.

Compared with Whites, Blacks were more likely to fall into categories characterized by high debt-to-asset ratio (DAR) or limited asset ownership. Low-asset nonborrowers displayed the poorest cognition, followed closely by high-DAR borrowers. The Black–White differential in debt–asset profiles contributed to the racial gap in cognition.

There were 2 unfavorable debt–asset profiles: high debt relative to assets and little or no debt due to a lack of assets, which was more prevalent among Blacks than Whites. We discuss how institutional and structural racism shapes Black–White disparities in debt–asset profiles, such as limited access to borrowing opportunities, thereby contributing to health inequalities, including cognition.

This paper outlines the unique culturally driven cyclical migration of Alaska Native (AN) Elders, distinct from previously described migration patterns in that Elders spend extended time in more than one community. We describe this Indigenous cyclical migration of AN Elders and its influence on their identity and later life health and well-being.

Interviews with 124 AN Elders were conducted across 5 regions of Alaska: Bristol Bay, Interior, Norton Sound, Aleutian Pribilof Islands, and Southcentral. Within this sample, 87 participants engaged in cyclical migration. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes related to Elders’ cyclical migration between rural and urban communities and the impact on their identity and later life health and well-being.

We identified 2 distinct patterns of Indigenous cyclical migration—Elders living primarily in rural communities migrating to urban communities and Elders living primarily in urban communities migrating to rural communities. Elders engaged in these 2 patterns of cyclical migration to maintain cultural practices, access social, and health care services to maintain their physical health and well-being, and continue their community roles contributing to their AN Elder identity.

This study builds upon existing migration theories by introducing a cyclical pattern uniquely driven by AN identity, culture, and traditional practices. Findings illustrate how AN communities can support Elders who experience cyclical migration patterns to ensure they age successfully in both locations. Future research should explore cyclical migration patterns among other Indigenous populations with migration histories.

Early-life disadvantage (ELD) relates to lower late-life cognition. However, personality factors, including having an internal locus of control (LOC) or a conscientious personality, relate to resilience and effective stress coping. We explore whether personality factors convey resilience against the negative effects of ELD on cognition, by gender, in Mexico.

Using the 2015 Mexican Health and Aging Study, we estimated expected cognition using multiple ELD markers to identify a subsample in the lowest quartile of expected cognition given ELD (n = 2,086). In this subsample, we estimated cross-sectional associations between personality and having above-median observed cognitive ability (n = 522) using logistic regression.

Among those in the lowest quartile of expected cognition, a more internal LOC (β = 0.32 [men] and β = 0.44 [women]) and conscientious personality (β = 0.39 [men] and β = 0.17 [women]) were significantly associated with having above-median cognitive ability in models adjusted for demographic confounders. Larger benefits of conscientiousness were observed for men than women. Associations between personality and having above-median cognitive ability remained statistically significant after further adjustment for health, stress, and cognitive stimulation variables, regardless of gender.

Personality factors may convey resilience among individuals who experienced ELD, potentially breaking the link between ELD and worse late-life cognition. Structural factors and gender roles may affect how much women benefit from personality factors.