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How does monetary policy pass-through affect mortgage default? Evidence from the Irish mortgage market

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  • Byrne, David

    (Central Bank of Ireland)

  • Kelly, Robert

    (Central Bank of Ireland)

  • O'Toole, Conor

    (Central Bank of Ireland)

Abstract

One channel through which monetary policy can affect loan default in the mortgage market is by altering the affordability of borrower repayments. Quantifying the exact impact of this relationship is complex as it depends on both the structure and passthrough of a given mortgage market. This paper uses a quasi-natural experiment to identify the impact of changes in interest rates on mortgage default. Using a panel of loan level administrative data for Ireland, we deal with selection bias that is inherent in identifying the impact of interest rates by exploiting the variation between two types of adjustable rate mortgage that were offered to Irish borrowers for a particular period in the mid-2000s. We map changes in interest rates to default by quantifying the direct effect through changes in borrower installments. Using a pass-through approach, we find a strong and highly statistically significant impact of interest rates on mortgage default, with a 1 per cent reduction in installment associated with a 5.8 per cent decrease in the likelihood of default over the following year. We also find evidence that negative equity offsets the some of the gains arising from lower policy rates indicating an interaction between monetary policy and asset price shocks in the mortgage market.

Suggested Citation

  • Byrne, David & Kelly, Robert & O'Toole, Conor, 2017. "How does monetary policy pass-through affect mortgage default? Evidence from the Irish mortgage market," Research Technical Papers 04/RT/17, Central Bank of Ireland.
  • Handle: RePEc:cbi:wpaper:04/rt/17
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kelly, Jane & Le Blanc, Julia & Lydon, Reamonn, 2018. "Pockets of risk in European Housing Markets: then and now," Research Technical Papers 12/RT/18, Central Bank of Ireland.
    2. Charles Lilly, 2018. "Outcomes from the 2017 stress test of major banks," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, vol. 81, pages 1-18, July.
    3. Slaymaker, Rachel & O'Toole, Conor & McQuinn, Kieran & Fahy, Mike, 2018. "Monetary policy normalisation and mortgage arrears in a recovering economy: The case of the Irish residential market," Papers WP613, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    4. Fahy, Mike & McQuinn, Kieran & O’Toole, Conor & Slaymaker, Rachel, 2018. "Exploring the implications of monetary policy normalisation for Irish mortgage arrears," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. McQuinn, Kieran & O’Toole, Conor & Allen-Coghlan, Matthew & Economides, Philip, 2019. "Quarterly Economic Commentary, Spring 2019," Forecasting Report, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number QEC.
    6. Cumming, Fergus, 2022. "Mortgage cash-flows and employment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    7. Kelly, Jane & Mazza, Elena, 2019. "Mortgage servicing burdens and LTI caps," Financial Stability Notes 13/FS/19, Central Bank of Ireland.
    8. Cumming, Fergus, 2018. "Mortgages, cash-flow shocks and local employment," Bank of England working papers 773, Bank of England.
    9. Yosi Borochov & Boris A. Portnov, 2021. "Estimating Environmentally Adjusted Risks of Mortgage Arrears for Different Socioeconomic Groups of Borrowers," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 595-620.
    10. McCann, Fergal, 2017. "Resolving a Non-Performing Loan crisis: The ongoing case of the Irish mortgage market," Research Technical Papers 10/RT/17, Central Bank of Ireland.
    11. Kelly, Jane & Myers, Samantha, 2019. "Fixed-rate mortgages: building resilience or generating risk?," Financial Stability Notes 5/FS/19, Central Bank of Ireland.
    12. O’Toole, Conor & Slaymaker, Rachel, 2021. "Repayment capacity, debt service ratios and mortgage default: An exploration in crisis and non-crisis periods," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    13. George Overton & Barbara Castillo Rico, 2020. "Monetary Policy and Housing Loan Default," EconomiX Working Papers 2020-23, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    14. Billio, Monica & Dufour, Alfonso & Segato, Samuele & Varotto, Simone, 2023. "Complexity and the default risk of mortgage-backed securities," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary Policy; Mortgage Default;

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • 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
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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