The availability of data that provide detail about the income and wealth status of American households has enabled researchers during the last several years to more carefully examine income variability and the relationship between income and wealth. These data—the 1979 panel survey of households conducted by the President's Commission on Pension Policy, the 1983 and 1985 Surveys of Consumer Finances, the 1979 Income Survey Development Program (ISDP), and its daughter survey, the longitudinal Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)—have begun to refine the way researchers approach various issues related to economic well-being and decision-making.