Is there a link between loose monetary conditions, credit growth, house price booms, and financial instability? This paper analyzes the role of interest rates and credit in driving house price booms and busts with data spanning 140 years of modern economic history in the advanced economies. We...

Traditional wisdom on financial security has included safeguards against risk associated with one's home. With the collapse of the real estate market, this wisdom has proven both its truth and the painful effects of ignoring it. This brief article summarizes the practical applications of...