This paper provides a statistical overview of the extent and composition of publicly-funded loans granted by banks to Italian firms. The analysis is based on the universe of reports to the Central Credit Register (CR). Between 1998 and 2007 the subsidized loans recorded by the CR amounted to...

Developments in the real-estate sector are of crucial importance for the business cycle and financial stability. This study analyses developments in the Italian housing market on the basis of both real and financial variables. Following the sharp contraction of the market during the financial...

Set up by the Italian central government and implemented in the areas of the country that are lagging behind, Obiettivi di Servizio is an innovative scheme designed to encourage local authorities to reach given targets for public service provision in the areas of education, childcare and elderly...

The two recessions that have hit Italy since the end of 2008 have raised the share of non-performing loans to businesses in banks' portfolios substantially. In this paper we evaluate to what extent the deterioration of credit quality was due not only to the decline in firms' sales during the...

We analyse new survey data from a representative sample of about 2,000 Italian micro-entrepreneurs to assess their level of financial and digital competences and to investigate whether these skills help them cope with unexpected shocks. We find that the financial literacy and digital skills of...

We investigate whether targeting algorithms can improve the effectiveness of financial education programs by identifying the most appropriate recipients in advance. To this end, we use micro-data from approximately 3,800 individuals who recently participated in a financial education campaign...