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Intermediated quantities and returns

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  • Rajnish Mehra
  • Facundo Piguillem
  • Edward C. Prescott

Abstract

The difference between average borrowing and lending rates in the United States is over 2 percent. In spite of this large difference, there is over 1.7 times GNP in 2007 of intermediated borrowing and lending between households. In this paper a model is developed consistent with these facts. The only difference within an age cohort is preferences for bequests. Individuals with little or no bequest motive are lenders, while individuals with strong bequest motive are borrowers and owners of productive capital. Given no aggregate uncertainty, the return on equity is the same as the household borrowing rate. The government can borrow at the household lending rate, so there is a 2 percent equity premium in our world with no aggregate uncertainty. We examine the distribution and life cycle patterns of asset holding and consumption and find there is large dispersion in asset holdings and little in consumption. ; Updated by Working Paper 685.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajnish Mehra & Facundo Piguillem & Edward C. Prescott, 2008. "Intermediated quantities and returns," Staff Report 405, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmsr:405
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    Cited by:

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    3. De Grauwe, Paul & Macchiarelli, Corrado, 2015. "Animal spirits and credit cycles," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 95-117.
    4. Vasco Curdia & Michael Woodford, 2010. "Conventional and unconventional monetary policy," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 92(May), pages 229-264.
    5. Jeremy Greenwood & Juan Sanchez & Cheng Wang, 2013. "Quantifying the Impact of Financial Development on Economic Development," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 16(1), pages 194-215, January.
    6. Grechyna, Daryna, 2018. "Firm size, bank size, and financial development," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 19-37.
    7. Dreyer, Johannes K. & Schneider, Johannes & Smith, William T., 2013. "Saving-based asset-pricing," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3704-3715.
    8. António Antunes & Tiago Cavalcanti & Anne Villamil, 2010. "Intermediation Costs and Welfare," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 142, Economics, The University of Manchester.

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    Equilibrium (Economics); Financial markets;

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