We investigate the effects of regulatory restrictions on the amounts invested in risky asset classes in life insurance funds across EU countries. By estimating a panel data econometric model, we find that these restrictions have an economically and statistically significant negative impact on...

We study jointly the roles of aggregate and idiosyncratic uncertainty shocks in driving business cycle fluctuations. By decomposing total stock return volatility of approximately 30,000 publicly-listed US firms from 1962 to 2012, we construct distinct measures of aggregate and idiosyncratic...

This paper provides new insights into the relationship between the supply of credit and the macroeconomy. We present evidence that credit shocks constitute shocks to aggregate supply in that they have a permanent effect on output and cause inflation to rise in the short term. Our results also...

Insurance firms across EU member states are subject to capital requirements in order to reduce the risk of insurer insolvency and thereby protect policyholders and support market stability. Most countries supplement solvency capital requirements by regulating the portfolio of assets covering...