Champions of sustainable growth often call for more durable production technologies with less capital depreciation. As investment in more durable capital is encouraged by lower interest rates, we investigate whether policy makers can steer the economy towards a path with low interest rates in...

Variable rate savings accounts have two main features. The client rate is variable and deposits can be invested and withdrawn at any time. However, customer behaviour is not fully rational and actions are often performed with a delay. This paper focusses on measuring the interest rate risk of...

When the yield curve is modelled using an affine factor model, residuals may still contain relevant information and do not adhere to the familiar white noise assumption.This paper proposes a pragmatic way to improve out of sample performance for yield curve forecasting. The proposed adjustment...

This discussion paper led to a publication in the <I>International Journal of Forecasting</I> (2013). Vol. 29, pages 676-694.<P> We extend the class of dynamic factor yield curve models for the inclusion of macro-economic factors. We benefit from recent developments in the dynamic factor literature for...</p></i>

This paper explores the determinants of regional differences in interest rates based on a simple theoretical model of loan pricing. The model demonstrates how risks, costs, market concentration and scale economies jointly determine the bank's interest rates. Using recent data of the Indonesian...

Credit risk models should reflect the observation that the relevant value of collateral is generally not the average value of the asset over all possible states of nature. In most cases, the relevant value of collateral for the lender is its secondary market value in bad states of nature, where...

This discussion paper led to a publication in the <A HREF="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jae.2358/abstract"><I>Journal of Applied Econometrics</I></A>, 2014, 29, pages 693-712.<P> Many economic studies on inflation forecasting have found favorable results when inflation is modeled as a stationary process around a slowly time-varying trend. In contrast, the existing...</p></i></a>