This study investigates whether and how financial technologies (FinTech) influence the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission. We use an interacted panel vector autoregression model to explore how the effects of monetary policy shocks change with regional-level FinTech adoption. Results indicate that FinTech adoption generally mitigates the transmission of monetary policy to real GDP, consumer prices, bank loans, and housing prices, with the most significant impact observed in the weakened transmission to bank loan growth. The relaxed financial constraints, regulatory arbitrage, and intensified competition are the possible mechanisms underlying the mitigated transmission.

Die Corona-Pandemie hat die deutsche Wirtschaft in eine tiefe Rezession getrieben. In diesem Beitrag wird analysiert, wie sich die Rezession in den Unternehmensinsolvenzen niederschlägt. Prognosen auf Basis des üblichen Zusammenhangs zwischen Bruttowertschöpfung und Unternehmensinsolvenzen nach Wirtschaftsbereichen deuten auf eine kräftige Zunahme der Unternehmensinsolvenzen im zweiten Halbjahr 2020 hin. Für Unternehmensinsolvenzen gelten allerdings seit März 2020 Ausnahmeregelungen, die das Ziel haben, allein durch die Corona-Krise bedingte Unternehmensinsolvenzen zu vermeiden. Ferner erhalten die Unternehmen finanzielle Unterstützung im Rahmen der Corona-Hilfspakete. Mit zunehmender Dauer der wirtschaftlichen Beeinträchtigungen nimmt die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Unternehmensinsolvenzen gleichwohl zu, sodass nach Aufhebung der Ausnahmeregelungen Insolvenzen nachgeholt werden dürften und das übliche konjunkturelle Muster wieder greift.

This paper discusses the problems associated with using information about the signs of certain magnitudes as a basis for drawing structural conclusions in vector autoregressions. We also review available tools to solve these problems. For illustration we use Dahlhaus and Vasishtha’s (2019) study of the effects of a U.S. monetary contraction on capital flows to emerging markets. We explain why sign restrictions alone are not enough to allow us to answer the question and suggest alternative approaches that could be used.

This study investigates whether and how financial technologies (FinTech) influence the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission. We use an interacted panel vector autoregression model to explore how the effects of monetary policy shocks change with regional-level FinTech adoption. Results indicate that FinTech adoption generally mitigates the transmission of monetary policy to real GDP, consumer prices, bank loans, and housing prices, with the most significant impact observed in the weakened transmission to bank loan growth. The relaxed financial constraints, regulatory arbitrage, and intensified competition are the possible mechanisms underlying the mitigated transmission.

In this paper, we investigate whether differences exist among forecasts using real‐time or latest‐available data to predict gross domestic product (GDP). We employ mixed‐frequency models and real‐time data to reassess the role of surveys and financial data relative to industrial production and orders in Germany. Although we find evidence that forecast characteristics based on real‐time and final data releases differ, we also observe minimal impacts on the relative forecasting performance of indicator models. However, when obtaining the optimal combination of soft and hard data, the use of final release data may understate the role of survey information.

Neue Fragestellungen der monetäre Ökonomik betreffen seit der globalen Finanzmarktkrise sowohl die Erklärung der ungewöhnlichen Konsumentenpreisentwicklung als auch die Untersuchung der Interdependenzen zwischen den Finanzmärkten und der realen Wirtschaftstätigkeit sowie des geldpolitischen Transmissionsprozesses. In dieser Dissertation werden die Fragestellungen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Nichtlinearitäten analysiert. Die ersten beiden Beiträge untersuchen die Faktoren der Inflationsdynamik des Euroraums sowie der ASEAN-5-Länder anhand von nichtlinearen Phillips-Kurven und zeigen, dass die Veränderung der Inflationsprozesse bedeutend von den langfristigen Inflationserwartungen beeinflusst wird. Der dritte Beitrag untersucht die Entwicklung des Finanz-Akzelerator-Effektes (FAE) im Hinblick auf die Veränderung des Finanzsektors anhand eines zeitvarianten, strukturellen vektorautoregressiven Modells und zeigt, dass in den USA der FAE ab Anfang der 1990iger Jahre ansteigt.

In this paper we investigate whether differences exist among forecasts using real-time or latest-available data to predict gross domestic product (GDP). We employ mixed-frequency models and real-time data to reassess the role of survey data relative to industrial production and orders in Germany. Although we find evidence that forecast characteristics based on real-time and final data releases differ, we also observe minimal impacts on the relative forecasting performance of indicator models. However, when obtaining the optimal combination of soft and hard data, the use of final release data may understate the role of survey information.

Am 29. und 30. September 2016 fand am IWH in Zusammenarbeit mit dem International Network for Economic Research (INFER) der 6. Workshop in der Reihe „Applied Economics and Economic Policy“ statt. Im Rahmen des Workshops stellten Wissenschaftler europäischer Universitäten und internationaler Organisationen ihre neuesten Forschungsergebnisse zu aktuellen ökonomischen Fragen und Problemen vor und diskutierten diese intensiv. Insbesondere gab es einen regen Austausch über das Spezialthema „(Ending) Unconventional Monetary Policy“. Hier ging es vor allem um die geldpolitischen Maßnahmen und Instrumente, die neben dem Zentralbankzins seit der Finanzkrise eingesetzt werden.

We study the impact of the interaction between fiscal and monetary policy on the low-frequency relationship between the fiscal stance and inflation using cross-country data from 1965 to 1999. In a first step, we contrast the monetary–fiscal narrative for Germany, the U.S., and Italy with evidence obtained from simple regression models and a time-varying VAR. We find that the low-frequency relationship between the fiscal stance and inflation is low during periods of an independent central bank and responsible fiscal policy and more pronounced in times of non-responsible fiscal policy and accommodative monetary authorities. In a second step, we use an estimated DSGE model to interpret the low-frequency measure structurally and to illustrate the mechanisms through which fiscal actions affect inflation in the long run. The findings from the DSGE model suggest that switches in the monetary–fiscal policy interaction and accompanying variations in the propagation of structural shocks can well account for changes in the low-frequency relationship between the fiscal stance and inflation.

We use the Chinese experience between 1867 and 1910 to illustrate how the volatility of vehicle currencies affects trade. Today’s widespread vehicle currency is the dollar. However, the macroeconomic effects of this use of the dollar have rarely been addressed. This is partly due to identification problems caused by its international importance. China had adopted a system, where silver was used almost exclusively for trade, similar to a vehicle currency. While being important for China, the global role of silver was marginal, alleviating said identification problems. We develop a bias corrected structural VAR showing that silver price fluctuations significantly affected trade.