This paper presents a model addressing the conditions under which financial instability arises in the event of household debt. The model addresses two main cases. First, household debt is affected by functional income distribution. Second, household debt is affected by credit supply and depends...

Introduction: everything old is new again -- When personal debt was really business debt (2000 BC-1920 AD) -- Everybody paid cash for the Model T (1908-1929) -- Fannie Mae can save America (1924-1939) -- How I learned to stop worrying and love the debt (1945-1960) -- Discounted goods and...