There are many indications that formal methods are not used to their full potential by central banks today. In this paper we demonstrate how BVAR and DSGE models can be used to shed light on questions that policy makers deal with in practice using data from Sweden. We compare the forecast...

From September 2011 to January 2015, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) implemented a minimum exchange rate regime (i.e. a one-sided target zone) vis-a-vis the euro to fight deflationary pressures in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis. During this period of unconventional monetary policy,...

We construct a 23-country panel data set to consider the effect of central bank projections and forward guidance on private-sector forecast disagreement. We find that central bank projections and forward guidance matter mainly for private-sector forecast disagreement surrounding upcoming policy...

In a large sample of countries across different geographic regions and over a long period of time, we find limited country- and variable-specific effects of central bank transparency on forecast accuracy and their dispersion among a large set of professional forecasts of financial and...

The assumption of asymmetric and incomplete information in a standard New Keynesian model creates strong incentives for monetary policy transparency. We assume that the central bank has better information about its objectives than the private sector, and that the private sector has better...

There is a broad consensus in the literature that costs of information processing and acquisition may generate costly disagreements in expectations among economic agents, and that central banks may play a central role in reducing such dispersion in expectations. This paper analyses empirically...

In this paper, we consider whether differences in the forecast performance of ECB SPF respondents reflect ability or chance. Although differences in performance metrics sometimes appear substantial, it is challenging to determine whether they reflect ex ante skill or other factors impacting ex...

The worst two financial crises in human history were in some ways attributable to the US Federal Reserve's misguided monetary policies. Many economists share the view that the Fed's tight-money policy in the late 1920s caused a significant drop in the money stock (i.e. severe contraction) which...

The Handbook consists of 24 chapters that cover topics ranging from central bank independence and transparency to the impact of unconventional monetary policies. Some chapters also deal with the modelling challenges faced by central banks as well as balance sheet management. The tensions faced...

Many central banks publish regular assessments of the magnitudeand balance of risks to the macroeconomic outlook. Inthis paper, we analyze the statistical properties of the inflation risk assessments that have been published by the Bank ofEngland and the Sveriges Riksbank. In each case, we find...