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Ambiguous Policy Announcements

Author

Listed:
  • Claudio Michelacci

    (EIEF and CEPR)

  • Luigi Paciello

    (EIEF and CEPR)

Abstract

We study the effects of an announcement of a future shift in monetary policy when agents face Knightian uncertainty about the commitment capacity of the monetary authority. Households are ambiguity-averse and are differentially exposed to inflation due to differences in wealth. In response to the announcement of a future loosening in monetary policy, only wealthy households (creditors) will act as if the announcement will be fully implemented, due to the potential loss of wealth from the prospective policy easing.And when creditors believe the announcement more than debtors, their expected wealth losses are larger than the wealth gains that debtors expect. Hence the economy responds as if aggregate net wealth falls, which attenuates the effects of the announcement. We study the quantitative properties of the model in a liquidity trap after allowing for a realistic characterization of households’ wealth portfolio.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudio Michelacci & Luigi Paciello, 2017. "Ambiguous Policy Announcements," EIEF Working Papers Series 1701, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised Dec 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:eie:wpaper:1701
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    Cited by:

    1. Barthélemy, Jean & Mengus, Eric, 2018. "The signaling effect of raising inflation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 488-516.
    2. Karantounias, Anastasios G., 2023. "Doubts about the model and optimal policy," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    3. Philippe Andrade & Gaetano Gaballo & Eric Mengus & Benoît Mojon, 2019. "Forward Guidance and Heterogeneous Beliefs," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 1-29, July.
    4. Haberis, Alex & Harrison, Richard & Waldron, Matt, 2019. "Uncertain policy promises," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 459-474.
    5. Hikaru Saijo, 2018. "Redistribution and Fiscal Uncertainty Shocks," IMES Discussion Paper Series 18-E-15, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    6. Ehrmann, Michael & Gaballo, Gaetano & Hoffmann, Peter & Strasser, Georg, 2019. "Can more public information raise uncertainty? The international evidence on forward guidance," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 93-112.
    7. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/713kqq1pgu80lr8fn0lsuuh8lf is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Claudio Michelacci & Luigi Paciello, 2020. "Aggregate Risk or Aggregate Uncertainty? Evidence from UK Households," EIEF Working Papers Series 2006, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised Apr 2020.
    9. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/713kqq1pgu80lr8fn0lsuuh8lf is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Cosmin L. Ilut & Martin Schneider, 2022. "Modeling Uncertainty as Ambiguity: a Review," NBER Working Papers 29915, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Andrade, Philippe & Gautier, Erwan & Mengus, Eric, 2023. "What matters in households’ inflation expectations?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 50-68.
    12. Haberis, Alex & Harrison, Richard & Waldron, Matthew, 2017. "Uncertain forward guidance," Bank of England working papers 654, Bank of England.
    13. Hikaru Saijo, 2020. "Redistribution And Fiscal Uncertainty Shocks," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 61(3), pages 1073-1095, August.
    14. Mirela Miescu, 2022. "Forward guidance shocks," Working Papers 352591340, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.

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