This paper deals with optimal payment systems. The issue boils down to how large are the costs of different payment media, which can be interpreted as a question of the efficiency of the means of payment. However, there are other qualifications related to the choice of payment media. Here, at...

We model banks' loan losses with a panel of European countries for the period 1982-2012 using three country-specific macro variables: output growth shocks, real interest rates, and a measure of excessive private sector indebtedness. We find that a drop in output has an intensified impact on...

This paper deals with the issue of how the market structure in banking affects the choice of means of payment.In particular, the demand for cash is analysed from this point of view.The analysis is based on a simple spatial transactions model in which the banks' optimization problem is solved.The...