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Credit and inflation under borrowerʼs lack of commitment

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  • Díaz, Antonia
  • Perera-Tallo, Fernando

Abstract

In this paper we study the effects of monetary policy on privately supplied credit in model economies where money is needed for transaction purposes and agents who default on their loans cannot participate in the credit market but are allowed to accumulate money. In our deterministic benchmark economy where agents alternate in productivity, credit has the role of smoothing consumption. We show that deflation crowds out credit completely. The reason is that deflation increases the value of being excluded from the credit market and eliminates the incentive to repay loans. When inflation is positive but low, credit, consumption smoothing and welfare increase with inflation, until inflation reaches a threshold at which the allocation is efficient and money becomes superneutral.

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  • Díaz, Antonia & Perera-Tallo, Fernando, 2011. "Credit and inflation under borrowerʼs lack of commitment," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(5), pages 1888-1914, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:146:y:2011:i:5:p:1888-1914
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    Cited by:

    1. Berentsen, Aleksander & Waller, Christopher, 2011. "Outside versus inside bonds: A ModiglianiâMiller type result for liquidity constrained economies," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(5), pages 1852-1887, September.
    2. Rojas-Breu, M., 2011. "Debt enforcement and the return on money," Working papers 345, Banque de France.
    3. Aleksander Berentsen & Christopher Waller, 2008. "Outside Versus Inside Bonds," IEW - Working Papers 372, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    4. repec:dau:papers:123456789/9608 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Lizarazo, Sandra & Da-Rocha, Jose-Maria, 2011. "Optimal monetary policy and default," MPRA Paper 31931, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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