In models with financial frictions, state-contingent contracts stabilize the business cycle relative to contracts with predetermined rates. We show that this finding depends on whether predetermined rates are set in real or nominal terms. State-contingent contracts can amplify supply-driven...

In the financial accelerator literature pioneered by Bernanke, Gertler and Gilchrist (1999) entrepreneurs are myopic and loans have a fixed rate of return by assumption. We relax both of these assumptions and derive the optimal lending contract for forward looking entrepreneurs who can choose a...

It is commonly assumed that binding collateral constraints amplify the impact of aggregate shocks on the economy. However, we show that when firms can hedge against aggregate risk with state-contingent lending contracts, binding collateral constraints no longer amplify shocks relative to the...