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Households' response to the wealth effects of inflation

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  • Schnorpfeil, Philip
  • Weber, Michael
  • Hackethal, Andreas

Abstract

We study the redistributive effects of inflation combining administrative bank data with an information provision experiment during an episode of historic inflation. On average, households are well-informed about prevailing inflation and are concerned about its impact on their wealth; yet, while many households know about inflation eroding nominal assets, most are unaware of nominal-debt erosion. Once they receive information on the debt-erosion channel, households update upwards their beliefs about nominal debt and their own real net wealth. These changes in beliefs causally affect actual consumption and hypothetical debt decisions. Our findings suggest that real wealth mediates the sensitivity of consumption to inflation once households are aware of the wealth effects of inflation.

Suggested Citation

  • Schnorpfeil, Philip & Weber, Michael & Hackethal, Andreas, 2023. "Households' response to the wealth effects of inflation," CEPR Discussion Papers 18440, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:18440
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    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Link, Sebastian & Peichl, Andreas & Roth, Christopher & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2023. "Attention to the Macroeconomy," CEPR Discussion Papers 18699, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Schnorpfeil, Philip & Weber, Michael & Hackethal, Andreas, 2025. "Inflation and Trading," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    4. Link, Sebastian & Peichl, Andreas & Roth, Christopher & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2023. "Attention to the Macroeconomy," CEPR Discussion Papers 18699, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Jessica Piccolo & Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2025. "Homeownership and Attention to Inflation: Evidence from Information Treatments," NBER Working Papers 33595, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. repec:ecb:ecbdps:202424 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Okan Akarsu & Emrehan Aktug & Huzeyfe Torun, 2025. "Inflation Expectations and Firms' Decisions in High Inflation: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial," Working Papers 2512, Research and Monetary Policy Department, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.
    8. Jannik Schumann, 2025. "Inflation and wealth accumulation of young German households: Evidence from SOEP panel data (2015?2022)," International Journal of Business and Management, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences, vol. 12(2), pages 24-45, October.
    9. Koranteng, Barbara & You, Kefei, 2025. "Does P2P lending promote the traditional bank-based financial inclusion? Spatial evidence from 34 developing economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(PB).
    10. Kukk, Merike & Toczynski, Jan & Basten, Christoph, 2025. "Beyond the headline: How personal exposure to inflation shapes the financial choices of households," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    11. Janet Hua Jiang & Rupal Kamdar & Kelin Lu & Daniela Puzzello, 2024. "How Do Households Respond to Expected Inflation? An Investigation of Transmission Mechanisms," CAEPR Working Papers 2024-004 Classification-D, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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