The Liquidity Effect in Bank-Based and Market-Based Financial Systems

This paper assesses how the financial system influences the strength of the liquidity effect in a calibrated limited participation model of the monetary transmission mechanism. The model suggests that bankbased systems should be characterized by smaller liquidity effects since monetary injections are spread out over a larger number of firms.limited participation; transmission mechanism; financial systems

International Risk Sharing and Investor Protection: Some Evidence from the EU-15

This note analyzes consumption risk sharing among the EU-15 countries. It is found that the reaction of consumption growth rates to idiosyncratic income growth is too sensitive to be consistent with perfect risk sharing. Some evidence is presented in favor the hypothesis that institutional and legal aspects determine the amount of risk sharing a country can achieve. In particular, countries characterized by high levels of investor protection appear to achieve less consumption insurance.

Interest Rate Pass-Through, Monetary Policy Rules and Macroeconomic Stability

In this paper we analyze equilibrium determinacy in a sticky price model in which the pass-through from policy rates to retail interest rates is sluggish and potentially incomplete. In addition, we empirically characterize and compare the interest rate pass-through process in the euro area and the U.S. We find that if the pass-through is incomplete in the long run, the standard Taylor principle is insufficient to guarantee equilibrium determinacy. Our empirical analysis indicates that this result might be particularly relevant for bank-based financial systems as for instance that in the euro area.Interest Rate Pass-Through, Equilibrium Determinacy, Stability

Labor market institutions and macroeconomic volatility in a panel of OECD countries

In this paper we analyze empirically how labor market institutions influence business cycle volatility in a sample of 20 OECD countries. Our results suggest that countries characterized by high union density tend to experience more volatile movements in output, whereas the degree of coordination of the wage bargaining system and strictness of employment protection legislation appear to play a limited role for output volatility. We also find some evidence suggesting that highly coordinated wage bargaining systems have a dampening impact on inflation volatility. JEL Classification: E31, E32business cycles, inflation, labor market institutions

Money market uncertainty and retail interest rate fluctuations: A cross-country comparison

This paper analyzes empirically the relationship between money market uncertainty and unexpected deviations in retail interest rates in a sample of 10 OECD countries. We find that, with the exception of the US, money market uncertainty has only a modest impact on the conditional volatility of retail interest rates. Even for the US we find that the effects of money market uncertainty are spread out over time. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that banking relationships include implicit insurance arrangements and thereby reduce uncertainty.Interest Rate Pass-Through; Relationship Banking; Conditional Volatility

Government Size and International Consumption Risk Sharing

We investigate the influence of government size on the exposure of consumption growth to country-specific fluctuations in output growth using a sample of OECD countries. To the extent that governments are less constrained on international financial markets, it appears conceivable that governments diversify risks interna- tionally on behalf of agents. Our results indicate that the extent of international risk sharing is unrelated to the size of the public sector.Government Size, International Risk Sharing

The Synchronization of GDP Growth in the G7 during U.S. Recessions. Is this Time Different?

Using the dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) model due to Engle (2002), we estimate time varying correlations of quarterly real GDP growth among the G7 countries. In general, we find that rathe heterogeneous patterns of international synchronization exist during U.S. recessions. During the 2007 - 2009 recession, however, international co-movement increased substantially.Dynamic conditional correlation, Business cycle synchronization, Recession

Marriage, Divorce and Interstate Risk Sharing

In this paper we study the importance of marriage for interstate risk sharing. We find that US states in which married couples account for a higher share of the population are less exposed to state-specific output shocks. Thus, marriages do not just improve the allocation of risk at the individual level, but also have implications for the allocation of risk at the more aggregated state-level. Quantitatively, the impact of marriage on interstate risk sharing varies over divorce regimes.risk sharing, marriage, divorce, family law

Have Consumption Risks in the G7 Countries Become Diversified?

This paper studies the dynamics of international consumption risk sharing among the G7 countries. Based on the dynamic conditional correlation model due to Engle (2002), we construct a time-varying, consumption-based measure of risk sharing. We find that although the exposure to countryspecific shocks has declined in the G7 countries, with Japan being an exception, the evolution of risk sharing is rather heterogeneous across countries.Dynamic conditional correlation, consumption risk sharing

Banks, Financial Markets and International Consumption Risk Sharing

In this paper we empirically explore how characteristics of the domestic financial system influence the international allocation of consumption risk using a sample of OECD countries. Our results show that the extent of risk sharing achieved does not depend on the overall development of the domestic financial system per se. Rather, it depends on how the financial system is organized. Specifically, we find that coun- tries characterized by developed financial markets are less exposed to idiosyncratic risk, whereas the development of the banking sector contributes little to the inter- national diversification of consumption risk.International Risk Sharing, Financial Development, Financial System