This paper applies a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive approach to estimate the relative effects of housing and stock returns on the growth rate of US consumption over time. We use annual data from 1890 to 2012 and find that at the 1- and 2-year horizons and over time, generally the...

The elasticity of intertemporal substitution (EIS) is one of the key parameters in the Economics and Finance literature. It is usually estimated by means of the consumer’s Euler Equation using an instrumental variable approach, and the estimates are usually zero or close to zero. Nevertheless,...

If asset returns are predictable, then rational expectations and the arithmetic of budget constraints together imply that these predictable changes in returns should affect current consumption. This paper presents a new framework linking consumption, income, and observable assets to expectations...