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Credit Traps

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  • Efraim Benmelech
  • Nittai K. Bergman

Abstract

This paper studies the limitations of monetary policy transmission within a credit channel frame- work. We show that, under certain circumstances, the credit channel transmission mechanism fails in that liquidity injections by the central bank into the banking sector are hoarded and not lent out. We use the term 'credit traps' to describe such situations and show how they can arise due to the interplay between financing frictions, liquidity, and collateral values. Our analysis offers a characterization of the problems created by credit traps as well as potential solutions and policy implications. Among these, the analysis shows how quantitative easing and fiscal policy acting in conjunction with monetary policy may be useful in increasing bank lending. Further, the model shows how small contractions in monetary policy or in loan supply can lead to collapses in lending, aggregate investment, and collateral prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Efraim Benmelech & Nittai K. Bergman, 2010. "Credit Traps," NBER Working Papers 16200, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16200
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    2. Mikel Bedayo & Gabriel Jiménez & José-Luis Peydró & Raquel Vegas, 2020. "Screening and Loan Origination Time: Lending Standards, Loan Defaults and Bank Failures," Working Papers 1215, Barcelona School of Economics.
    3. Goldstein, Itay & Razin, Assaf, 2015. "Three Branches of Theories of Financial Crises," Foundations and Trends(R) in Finance, now publishers, vol. 10(2), pages 113-180, 30.
    4. Sebastian Missio, 2011. "Interdependence of Liquidity Problems in the Financial Sector The paper analyses problems arising from the interdependence of liquidity provision in the financial system. Findings document, that liqui," Working Papers 103, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    5. Frédéric Boissay & Russell Cooper, 2014. "The Collateral Trap," NBER Working Papers 20703, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. J. Barthélemy & V. Bignon & B. Nguyen, 2018. "Monetary Policy and Collateral Constraints since the European Debt Crisis," Working papers 669, Banque de France.
    7. Efraim Benmelech & Nittai K. Bergman, 2018. "Credit Market Freezes," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(1), pages 493-526.
    8. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W., 2010. "Unstable banking," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 306-318, September.
    9. Choi, Dong Beom & Eisenbach, Thomas M. & Yorulmazer, Tanju, 2021. "Watering a lemon tree: Heterogeneous risk taking and monetary policy transmission," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    10. Nadauld, Taylor D. & Weisbach, Michael S., 2012. "Did securitization affect the cost of corporate debt?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(2), pages 332-352.
    11. Cassola, Nuno & Koulischer, François, 2019. "The collateral channel of open market operations," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 73-90.
    12. Philippe Andrade & Christophe Cahn & Henri Fraisse & Jean-Stéphane Mésonnier, 2019. "Can the Provision of Long-Term Liquidity Help to Avoid a Credit Crunch? Evidence from the Eurosystem’s LTRO," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 1070-1106.
    13. Cycon, Lisa & Koetter, Michael, 2015. "Monetary policy under the microscope: Intra-bank transmission of asset purchase programs of the ECB," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112831, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    14. Massa, Massimo & Zhang, Lei, 2013. "Monetary policy and regional availability of debt financing," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 439-458.
    15. Apergis, Nicholas & Christou, Christina, 2015. "The behaviour of the bank lending channel when interest rates approach the zero lower bound: Evidence from quantile regressions," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 296-307.
    16. Pegoraro, Stefano & Montagna, Mattia, 2021. "Issuance and valuation of corporate bonds with quantitative easing," Working Paper Series 2520, European Central Bank.
    17. Berg, Tobias & Haselmann, Rainer & Kick, Thomas & Schreiber, Sebastian, 2022. "Unintended side effects of unconventional monetary policy," LawFin Working Paper Series 27, Goethe University, Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance (LawFin).
    18. Mujtaba Zia & Jennifer Logan, 2021. "Bank Revolving Credit as a Channel of Monetary Policy," The Review of Finance and Banking, Academia de Studii Economice din Bucuresti, Romania / Facultatea de Finante, Asigurari, Banci si Burse de Valori / Catedra de Finante, vol. 13(2), pages 147-160, December.
    19. Buschmann, Christian & Schmaltz, Christian, 2017. "Sovereign collateral as a Trojan Horse: Why do we need an LCR+," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 311-330.
    20. Edoardo Palombo, 2020. "Unconventional Monetary Policy, Leverage & Default Dynamics," Working Papers 910, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    21. Bleck, Alexander & Liu, Xuewen, 2018. "Credit expansion and credit misallocation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 27-40.
    22. Chen, Xin & Qin, Yaohua & Xiao, He & Zhang, Yifei, 2019. "Microfinancing and Home-purchase Restrictions: Evidence from the Online “Peer-to-Peer” Lending in China," MPRA Paper 95375, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    23. Salachas, Evangelos N. & Laopodis, Nikiforos T. & Kouretas, Georgios P., 2017. "The bank-lending channel and monetary policy during pre- and post-2007 crisis," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 176-187.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation

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