The authors review the supply and demand side developments that may have contributed to the recent decline in small time deposits and weak M2 growth. They also consider whether M2 should be redefined to exclude small time deposits in light of the recent difficulties in interpreting the...

As short-term interest rates have declined over the past several years, investors have increasingly sought higher yielding investment vehicles. The index amortizing rate (IAR) swap is one of several new instruments that have been developed in response to this investor demand for yield...

Index amortizing rate (IAR) swaps have proved difficult to price because of the complexity of their embedded options. Since these options depend on the path of interest rates, pricing requires a model of interest rate movements. This article uses a simple interest rate model to illustrate the...

Real interest rates on long-term financial assets play a central role in linking financial markets to the economy at large. Over the last fifteen years, these rates have risen steadily in the United States and some key foreign countries. The authors consider long-term forces contributing to this...

World financial markets have become substantially integrated over the last two decades. Contrary to widespread expectations, however, this integration has not led to any greater convergence of interest rates across countries. This article examines why convergence has not occurred and more...