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Demand for Liquidity and Welfare Cost of Inflation by Cohort and Age of Households

Author

Listed:
  • Yaz Terajima

    (Bank of Canada)

  • Jose-Victor Rios-Rull

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Césaire Meh

    (Bank of Canada)

  • Shutao Cao

    (Bank of Canada)

Abstract

Cross-sectional data show that money holding differs significantly over household consumption and age. Liquidity demand for money (i.e., money holding per dollar of consumption) decreases as household consumption increases. It also increases with household age conditional on the level of consumption. Observed age differences in money holdings contain not only age-specific information but also cohort-specific one. Using a life-cycle model, this paper disentangles these two effects on money demand and quantifies welfare gains of reducing the long-run inflation rate. We dynamically calibrate the model to micro data and macroeconomic conditions over time. We find that, although a large part of the observed cross-sectional age differences in money demand can be accounted for by some age effects, cohort effects play a non-negligible part, supporting a presence of financial innovation. In addition, changing inflation has significantly different impacts across household groups due to their heterogeneity in money holding. When inflation increases from the 2009 level to 10%, we find the aggregate welfare loss in consumption to be 1.34%. These losses are accrued mostly by generations that are currently alive and less by future cohorts. Finally, poorer households lose more than their rich peers.

Suggested Citation

  • Yaz Terajima & Jose-Victor Rios-Rull & Césaire Meh & Shutao Cao, 2013. "Demand for Liquidity and Welfare Cost of Inflation by Cohort and Age of Households," 2013 Meeting Papers 569, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed013:569
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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