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How Did Depositors Respond to COVID-19?

Author

Listed:
  • Ross Levine
  • Chen Lin
  • Mingzhu Tai
  • Wensi Xie

Abstract

Why did banks experience massive deposit inflows during the first months of the pandemic? Using weekly branch-level data on interest rates and county-level data on COVID-19 cases, we discover that interest rates at bank branches in counties with higher COVID-19 infection rates fell by more than rates at other branches—even branches of the same bank in different counties. When differentiating weeks by the degree of stock market distress and counties by the likely impact of COVID-19 cases on economic anxiety, the evidence suggests that the deposit inflows were triggered by a surge in the supply of precautionary savings.

Suggested Citation

  • Ross Levine & Chen Lin & Mingzhu Tai & Wensi Xie, 2020. "How Did Depositors Respond to COVID-19?," NBER Working Papers 27964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27964
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth

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