While paramount to the modern economy, understanding how the banking system works has been usually cast aside from overall economic education. Even in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, which has underlined the vital importance of banking in the economy, the workings of the sector...

In the aftermath of the European sovereign debt crisis (2009–2014), the management of expectations has risen in importance. However, policy responses have emphasized the management of fiscal spending without examining the impact changes in the business confidence have on the economy. This...

The article analyses recent developments in business investment for a large group of EU countries, using a broad set of analytical tools and data sources. We find that the assessment of whether or not investment is currently low varies across benchmarks and countries. At the euro area level and...

With interest rates at the zero lower bound, central banks resort to unconventional methods to fuel the economy, such as Quantitative Easing (QE). Since QE has become widely used over the past decade, we examine for any possible adverse effects it can have on wealth inequality, measured as the...

Inflation and inflation expectations are of the most watched macroeconomic variables, given the central banks’ usual inflation mandate. While inflation targets usually stand at two percent, households’ inflation perceptions differ substantially. Using a panel VAR approach and data for all 19...

Part I: A History of Banking -- 1.A brief history of money and credit -- 2.Banking in the 20th Century -- Part II: How Banking Works -- 3.Money and Inflation -- 4.Money and Banking -- 5.Banking and the economy -- 6.Investment Banking -- 7.Banking in Crisis -- 8.Financial Instability -- Part III:...