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Financial fragility across Europe and the US: The role of portfolio choices, household features and economic-institutional setup

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  • Marianna Brunetti
  • Elena Giarda
  • Costanza Torricelli

Abstract

This paper investigates households’ financial fragility in twelve European countries and in the US by employing the first wave of the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) and the 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), respectively. Financial fragility is defined by taking into account both income constraints and portfolio composition (liquidity and indebtedness). Three main results emerge. First, the estimation of bivariate probit models reveals that in all countries holding an illiquid portfolio increases the likelihood of being financially fragile, while having a mortgage generally reduces it. Second, there are relevant differences among countries in their estimated average probability of financial fragility. Finally, decomposition of these differences by means of counterfactual methods provides evidence of a significant role of the country’s economic-institutional setup in providing a safety net against financial fragility. This is more true in Europe than in the US.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianna Brunetti & Elena Giarda & Costanza Torricelli, 2020. "Financial fragility across Europe and the US: The role of portfolio choices, household features and economic-institutional setup," Centro Studi di Banca e Finanza (CEFIN) (Center for Studies in Banking and Finance) 0081, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    • Handle: RePEc:mod:wcefin:0081
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    household financial fragility; portfolio liquidity; mortgage; HFCS; SCF;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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