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Asset prices and the measurement of wealth and saving

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  • Michael Reiter

Abstract

The paper defines concepts of real wealth and saving which take into account the intertemporal index number problem that results from changing interest rates. Unlike conventional measures of real wealth, which are based on the market value of assets and ignore the index number problem, the new measure correctly reflects the changes in the welfare of households over time. An empirically operational approximation to the theoretical measure is provided and applied to US data. A major empirical finding is that US real financial wealth increased strongly in the 1980s, much more than is revealed by the market value of assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Reiter, 1999. "Asset prices and the measurement of wealth and saving," Economics Working Papers 396, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    • Handle: RePEc:upf:upfgen:396
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    File URL: https://econ-papers.upf.edu/papers/396.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Omar Licandro & Javier Ruiz-Castillo & Jorge Duran, 2002. "The Measurement of Growth under Embodied Technical Change," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 68(1), pages 7-19.
    2. Luigi Cannari & Giovanni D'Alessio & Romina Gambacorta, 2007. "Capital gains and wealth distribution in Italy," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Proceedings of the IFC Conference on "Measuring the financial position of the household sector", Basel, 30-31 August 2006 - Volume 2, volume 26, pages 129-156, Bank for International Settlements.
    3. Luigi, Cannari & Giovanni, D'Alessio & Grazia, Marchese, 2008. "Italian Household Wealth: Background, Main Results, Outlook," MPRA Paper 15106, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Luigi Infante & Francesco Vercelli, 2020. "An introduction to Italian balance sheets: methodology and stylized facts," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 559, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Real wealth; real saving; welfare; index numbers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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