We build a granular dataset of residential property yields using rental and sale listings from a major German real estate platform. With more than 1.5 million property-level rent-to-price ratios, we document a novel heterogeneity puzzle. About two-fifths of yield dispersion remains unexplained after controlling for extensive observable property characteristics and postal code-level time-varying factors using fixed effects. When we absorb finer neighborhood amenities through richer fixed effects, the unexplained share remains close to one-third. This evidence points to the importance of investors’ beliefs and preferences—rather than several alternative explanations we test—as sources of heterogeneity in risk premia.

Regional economic conditions are well-established determinants of the geography of political resentment. However, regions are not homogeneous, and the mechanisms through which local economies affect individual political attitudes are unclear. We argue that feelings of relative deprivation are shaped by how personal prospects are tied to regional conditions, and that the interaction between subjective individual and regional deprivation affects perceptions of shared struggle and systemic unfairness. Through a large-scale survey experiment in Britain addressing geographical self-selection, we provide causal evidence that poor individuals in poor regions express political resentment, whereas in affluent regions the political attitudes of poor and wealthy individuals are indistinguishable. Our findings stress 1) the importance of egocentric mechanisms whereby local economies shape individual prospects; 2) the significance of subjective beliefs over objective information on deprivation; 3) the mobilization potential of highlighting regional deprivation by political entrepreneurs; 4) the relevance of place-based policies to mitigate political discontent.

We study how individuals' perceptions of current and future levels of income inequality change during periods of expansionary fiscal policy. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we provide information on fiscal expansion to a representative sample of the German population. Our findings reveal that combining a fact-based (numerical) information treatment with a narrative treatment about fiscal expansion plans reduces inequality expectations among respondents who are ex-ante dissatisfied with the government's economic policy. These effects are more pronounced among respondents without a college degree or with low political interest, highlighting the importance of narrative information for individuals who are likely to benefit most from it. We explore potential mechanisms by examining revisions in macro- and micro-level assessments of future economic conditions and find that respondents primarily update their expectations regarding economic growth and individual layoff risk.

We study how individuals’ views on current and future levels of income inequality change during periods of expansionary fiscal policy. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we provide information on fiscal expansion to a representative sample of the German population. Our findings reveal that combining a fact-based (numerical) information treatment with a narrative treatment about fiscal expansion plans reduces inequality expectations among respondents who are ex-ante dissatisfied with the government’s economic policy. These effects are more pronounced among respondents without a college degree or with low political interest, highlighting the importance of narrative information for individuals who are likely to benefit most from it. We explore potential mechanisms by examining revisions in macro- and micro-level assessments of future economic conditions and find that respondents primarily update their expectations regarding economic growth and individual layoff risk.

Der Klimawandel wirkt sich zunehmend auf die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung in aller Welt aus. Ärmere Haushalte sind dabei den Auswirkungen des Klimawandels stärker ausgesetzt und verletzlicher, sodass der Klimawandel die Ungleichheit wahrscheinlich noch verstärken wird. Politische Maßnahmen zur Verringerung der Treibhausgasemissionen können eine Verschärfung des Klimawandels verhindern, schaffen aber auch ökonomische Gewinner und Verlierer. In diesem Beitrag werden die kombinierten Auswirkungen des Klimawandels und ausgewählter politischer Maßnahmen zur Verringerung der Treibhausgasemissionen auf die wirtschaftliche Ungleichheit untersucht. Die Bewertung erfolgt anhand von acht Modellen für die integrierte Analyse von Klimawandel und wirtschaftlicher Entwicklung, die von verschiedenen Forscherteams unter Verwendung unterschiedlicher Annahmen und Methoden entwickelt wurden. Die Ergebnisse basieren auf historischen Daten und Zukunftsszenarien für zehn Länder in unterschiedlichen Entwicklungsstadien. Die Umsetzung einer ehrgeizigen Klimapolitik im Einklang mit dem Pariser Abkommen führt demnach zu einer geringeren Ungleichheit in der Zukunft als der Verzicht auf Maßnahmen zur Milderung des Klimawandels, auch wenn die Ungleichheit aufgrund der Kosten für die Reduzierung der Treibhausgasemissionen kurzfristig zunimmt. Die Verwendung der Einnahmen aus der Kohlenstoffbepreisung kann dazu beitragen, die Verteilungseffekte der Klimapolitik zu dämpfen und die Ungleichheit kurzfristig sogar zu verringern. Diese Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Rolle von Ausgleichsmechanismen bei der Gestaltung einer fairen und politisch durchsetzbaren Klimapolitik.

Im September 2025 reisten Finanzökonomen aus aller Welt zum elften Mal nach Halle, um am jährlichen FIN-FIRE-Workshop am IWH teilzunehmen. Zwei Tage lang gaben die Autoren von zehn Beiträgen einen umfassenden Überblick über aktuelle Themen, die potenzielle Herausforderungen für das Finanzsystem darstellen, z. B. mangelnden Datenschutz bei der Vergabe von Immobilienkrediten, Unsicherheiten in Anleihemärkten aufgrund von Klimarisiken, Intransparenz bei synthetischen Risikotransferprodukten, die Auswirkungen geopolitischer Risiken auf die Kreditvergabe sowie granulare Friktionen bei der Transmission geldpolitischer Maßnahmen. Ein intensiver Gedankenaustausch zwischen Autoren, Ko-Referenten und Plenum führte zu neuen Erkenntnissen über die Widerstandsfähigkeit und Fragilität unserer Finanzsysteme.

This paper examines the macroeconomic and distributional effects of the European Union’s transition to Net Zero emissions through a gradually increasing carbon tax. I develop a New Keynesian Environmental DSGE model with two household types and distinct energy and non-energy sectors. Five alternative uses of carbon tax revenues are considered: equal transfers to households, targeted transfers to Hand-to-Mouth households, subsidies to green energy firms, and reductions in labor and capital income taxes. In the absence of technological progress, the carbon tax policy induces a persistent increase in energy prices and a reduction in GDP, investment, and consumption. Headline inflation falls below zero in the medium run, reflecting weaker aggregate demand. Distributional outcomes vary significantly depending on the implemented revenue recycling scheme: targeted transfers are the most progressive but entail larger macroeconomic costs, while subsidies and tax cuts mitigate output and investment losses but are less effective in narrowing the consumption gap. A limited foresight scenario, in which agents learn about policy targets sequentially, generates more volatile adjustment paths and temporary inflationary spikes around announcements, but long-run outcomes remain close to the baseline.