The role of regional integration agreements as a determinant of the location of FDI has become an increasingly relevant issue for emerging economies. In Latin America, the largest effects are likely to be associated with the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In this regard, there are a...

This paper analyzes the problem of the balance sheet of an agent that invests in currencies different than those she finances. Assuming a constant rate of return and fixed financing costs, the agent can face the event of insolvency due to swings in the relevant exchange rate that is assumed to...

In this paper we present a model of international interest rate arbitrage under conditions of entry and exit costs to and from the domestic capital market. We seek to measure the maximum potential effect of capital controls, such as non-interest paying reserve requirements, on interest rate...

With a few exceptions, the advantages of dollarization have not been discussed in a dynamic general equilibrium framework, especially for partially dollarized economies that are supposed to be good candidates to follow this kind of regime. After reviewing the arguments for and against...

We calculate and compare optimal monetary policy (MP) rules for a simple economy under alternative central bank objective (loss) functions. We compare both soft- and hard-edges range (zone) targeting as well as asymmetric loss-functions to a quadratic loss case. The latter represents the...

This paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the determinants of saving rates. In the context of this overview, the paper presents the main findings and contributions of the body of empirical research on saving determinants, complemented by the results of the...

This article presents an intervention methodology to neutralize fluctuations not associated to fundamentals. The mechanism is based on a conditional heteroskedasticity model GARCH(1,1) for the nominal exchange rate, combined with the Value at Risk concept. The simulation provides the authority...

The standard deviations of capital flows to emerging countries are 80 percent higher than those to developed countries. First, we show that very little of this difference can be explained by more volatile fundamentals or by higher sensitivity to fundamentals. Second, we show that most of the...

Growing international financial integration has implied greater threat of contagion across borders, requiring quicker response to crises. However, financial—and trade—integration have been accompanied by the spread of democracy and political participation. Do more voices in the political...

Using an optimizing model we compare alternative monetary policy rules and exchange rate regimes for a small stochastic open economy with imperfect competition and short run price rigidity. The criteria to choose among rules and regimes are obtained using a welfare criterion derived from the...