Exchange-traded Funds (ETFs) are easy to understand, cost-efficient ways of investing in asset markets that have become very popular for both institutional and retail investors. The dynamics of the index and its underlying assets depend among others on the different types of traders in the...

Financial repression committed by central banks has been put forward as a means to secretly reduce the real burden of high public debts. Financial repression has allegedly played an important role in the impressive reduction of the US debt ratio after World War II. A mix of conventional budget...

In case of speculative attacks, the central banks' decisions to intervene or not to intervene seem to play an important role for the economic costs of currency crises. The central bank can either abstain from intervening or start an intervention, which in turn can be successful or unsuccessful....

While currency crises are typically considered to be painful and costly events, a closer look reveals that economic developments after a speculative attack differ considerably. Monetary authorities can play a central role in determining the economic course and costs of currency crises. They have...

Niedrige oder sogar negative Realzinsen bestimmen seit Beginn der Krise die Kapitalmärkte in der Eurozone. Davon profitieren vor allem die Staatshaushalte in Ländern mit hoher öffentlicher Neuverschuldung. Sparer haben demgegenüber Schwierigkeiten, ihr Kapital rentierlich anzulegen. Die...