This thesis contains three independent empirical studies, the findings of which allow one to study the role of within-household dynamics and family background for income, savings, and labor market outcomes such as occupational mismatch and career paths. First, chapter 1 studies the role of the relative bargaining power within a marriage for investment decisions (the share of risky assets, to be precise). In particular, the literature is extended by studying the role of risk and time preferences of husband and wife alongside the relative bargaining power. Chapters 2 and 3 investigate how and why graduating from the university during adverse labor market conditions affects various outcomes such as income and career paths. Chapters 2 and 3 use Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) provided by Stats NZ to investigate the research question in New Zealand.