Cash is an extremely useful social contrivance. Two possible drawbacks of high-denomination cash have recently been discussed by Kenneth Rogoff in his book The Curse of Cash, and echoed by other economists. They are the extensive use of high-denomination cash by criminals and others engaged in...

From 2000-2006 U.S. house prices and mortgage credit grew while the relative cost of mortgage credit fell - particularly for privately securitized mortgages - suggesting a credit supply expansion. This paper explores two (credit supply) shocks: an increased inow of global savings into the United...