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Interest Rate Prominence In Consumer Decision‐Making

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  • Carola Binder

Abstract

Variations in consumers' responsiveness to interest rates across households and over time have important implications for monetary transmission. Responses from the Michigan Survey of Consumers provide an indication of the degree to which interest rates are a prominent consideration in spending decisions, news recollection, and financial situations. Prominence is strongest in housing attitudes, increases with income, education, and homeownership, and declined in the Great Recession. Rate prominence is associated with stronger responsiveness of consumption attitudes to monetary policy. (JEL D84, D91, E21, E40, E50)

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  • Carola Binder, 2018. "Interest Rate Prominence In Consumer Decision‐Making," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(2), pages 875-894, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:56:y:2018:i:2:p:875-894
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12537
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    Cited by:

    1. Hamid Baghestani & Ajalavat Viriyavipart, 2019. "Do factors influencing consumer home-buying attitudes explain output growth?," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(5), pages 1104-1115, August.
    2. Carola Conces Binder & Gillian Brunet, 2022. "Inflation expectations and consumption: Evidence from 1951," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(2), pages 954-974, April.
    3. Huijian Han & Zhiming Li & Zongwei Li, 2023. "Using Machine Learning Methods to Predict Consumer Confidence from Search Engine Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-12, February.
    4. Hamid Baghestani & Sehar Fatima, 2021. "Growth in US Durables Spending: Assessing the Impact of Consumer Ability and Willingness to Buy," Journal of Business Cycle Research, Springer;Centre for International Research on Economic Tendency Surveys (CIRET), vol. 17(1), pages 55-69, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General

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