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Monetary Policy and Reaching for Income

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  • KENT DANIEL
  • LORENZO GARLAPPI
  • KAIRONG XIAO

Abstract

Using data on individual portfolio holdings and on mutual fund flows, we find that low interest rates lead to significantly higher demand for income‐generating assets such as high‐dividend stocks and high‐yield bonds. We argue that this “reaching‐for‐income” phenomenon is driven by investors who follow the “living off income” rule‐of‐thumb. Our empirical analysis shows that this preference for current income affects both household portfolio choices and the prices of income‐generating assets. In addition, we explore the implications of reaching for income for capital allocation and the effectiveness of monetary policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Kent Daniel & Lorenzo Garlappi & Kairong Xiao, 2021. "Monetary Policy and Reaching for Income," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(3), pages 1145-1193, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:76:y:2021:i:3:p:1145-1193
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.13004
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    Cited by:

    1. Nina Boyarchenko & Giovanni Favara & Moritz Schularick, 2022. "Financial Stability Considerations for Monetary Policy: Empirical Evidence and Challenges," Staff Reports 1003, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    2. Campbell, John Y. & Sigalov, Roman, 2022. "Portfolio choice with sustainable spending: A model of reaching for yield," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 188-206.
    3. Fricke, Daniel, 2021. "Synthetic leverage and fund risk-taking," Discussion Papers 09/2021, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    4. Tayyaba Mukhtar & Muhammad Zeeshan Younas, 2019. "Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism of Pakistan: Evidence from Bank Lending and Asset Price Channels," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 7(3), pages 121-139, September.
    5. Caterina Forti Grazzini & Chi Hyun Kim, 2020. "Is Monetary Policy Gender Neutral? Evidence from the Stock Market," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1841, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Kaehny, Maximilian & Herweg, Fabian, 2022. "Do Zombies Rise When Interest Rates Fall? A Relationship-Banking Model," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264126, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Korevaar, Matthijs, 2023. "Reaching for yield and the housing market: Evidence from 18th-century Amsterdam," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(3), pages 273-296.
    8. Giuzio, Margherita & Kaufmann, Christoph & Ryan, Ellen & Cappiello, Lorenzo, 2021. "Investment funds, risk-taking, and monetary policy in the euro area," Working Paper Series 2605, European Central Bank.
    9. Kaufmann, Christoph & Leyva, Jaime & Storz, Manuela, 2024. "Insurance corporations’ balance sheets, financial stability and monetary policy," Working Paper Series 2892, European Central Bank.
    10. Warinthip Worasak & Nuwat Nookhwun & Pongpitch Amatyakul, 2022. "Monetary Policy and Risk-Taking: Evidence from Thai Corporate Bond Markets," PIER Discussion Papers 186, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    11. Carlos Garriga & Pedro Gete & Athena Tsouderou, 2023. "The economic effects of real estate investors," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 51(3), pages 655-685, May.
    12. Jonathan Goldberg & Elizabeth C. Klee & Edward Simpson Prescott & Paul R. Wood, 2020. "Monetary Policy Strategies and Tools: Financial Stability Considerations," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-074, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    13. Kumar, Alok & Lei, Zicheng & Zhang, Chendi, 2022. "Dividend sentiment, catering incentives, and return predictability," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    14. Ainsworth, Andrew & Lee, Adrian D., 2023. "Sharing the dividend tax credit pie: The influence of individual investors on ex-dividend day returns," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    15. Jiang, Hao & Sun, Zheng, 2020. "Reaching for dividends," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 321-338.
    16. Fabian Herweg & Maximilian Kähny, 2022. "Do Zombies Rise when Interest Rates Fall? A Relationship Banking Model," CESifo Working Paper Series 9628, CESifo.

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    JEL classification:

    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G4 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance

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