Monetary Policy, Private Debt and Financial Stability Risks

Can monetary policy be used to promote financial stability? We answer this question by estimating the impact of a monetary policy shock on private-sector leverage and the likelihood of a financial crisis. Impulse responses obtained from a panel VAR model of 18 advanced countries suggest that the debt-to-GDP ratio rises in the short run following an unexpected tightening in monetary policy. As a consequence, the likelihood of a financial crisis increases, as estimated from a panel logit regression. However, in the long run, output recovers and higher borrowing costs discourage new lending, leading to a deleveraging of the private sector. A lower debt-to-GDP ratio in turn reduces the likelihood of a financial crisis. These results suggest that monetary policy can achieve a less risky financial system in the long run but could fuel financial instability in the short run. We also find that the ultimate effects of a monetary policy tightening on the probability of a financial crisis depend on the leverage of the private sector: the higher the initial value of the debt-to-GDP ratio, the more beneficial the monetary policy intervention in the long run, but the more destabilizing in the short run

Bubbles and Crises: The Role of House Prices and Credit

This paper exploits a quarterly panel data set for 16 OECD countries over the period 1975q1–2013q2 to explore the importance of house prices and credit in affecting the likelihood of a financial crisis. Estimating a set of multivariate logit models, we find that booms in credit to both households and non-financial enterprises are important to account for when evaluating the stability of the financial system. In addition, we find that global housing market developments have predictive power for domestic financial stability. Finally, econometric measures of bubble-like behavior in housing and credit markets enter with positive and highly significant coefficients. Specifically, we find that the probability of a crisis increases markedly when bubble-like behavior coincides with high leverage.publishedVersio

Bubbles and Crises: The Role of House Prices and Credit

This paper exploits a quarterly panel data set for 16 OECD countries over the period 1975q1–2013q2 to explore the importance of house prices and credit in affecting the likelihood of a financial crisis. Estimating a set of multivariate logit models, we find that booms in credit to both households and non-financial enterprises are important to account for when evaluating the stability of the financial system. In addition, we find that global housing market developments have predictive power for domestic financial stability. Finally, econometric measures of bubble-like behavior in housing and credit markets enter with positive and highly significant coefficients. Specifically, we find that the probability of a crisis increases markedly when bubble-like behavior coincides with high leverage

Historical Monetary Statistics for Norway 1819–2003

This book presents historical data on a (small) number of macroeconomic variables relevant to monetary policy analysis for the period 1819-2003. The motivation of the project is to enhance our understanding of the long lines of developments in two areas of utmost importance to central banks - those of fostering price stability and financial stability. Norges Bank aims at stabilizing consumer price inflation at 2.5 per cent within a flexible inflation targeting regime. The promotion of financial stability aims at analyzing and identifying factors that foster sound financial developments through the monitoring of economic developments in the household sector and the corporate sector as well as for banks and other financial intermediaries