The Federal Reserve's Tools for Policy Normalization in a Preferred Habitat Model of Financial Markets

We develop a model to analyze monetary policy implementation with multiple Federal Reserve liabilities and superabundant reserves. The analysis demonstrates the Federal Reserve's tools including interest on excess reserves (IOER), overnight reverse repurchase agreements (ON RRP), and term deposits should allow the Federal Reserve to raise the short‐term interest rates to any desired level. We find the contribution of each the increase in the IOER and ON RRP offering rates in firming money market rates suggested by the data during the December 2015 policy tightening event is remarkably similar to the effect of each tool implied by the calibrated model.     

On Freezing Depositor Funds at Financially Distressed Banks: An Experimental Analysis

This article reports an experiment conducted to evaluate the effects of alterations in the terms of repayments to depositors following a liquidity suspension, as well as the effect of alterations in the publicity of information about withdrawal behavior on the fragility of distressed banks. Results indicate that a “tough” renegotiation stance of protecting depositors who maintain their money in the bank, can quite effectively promote stability. Information provided to depositors regarding past withdrawal behavior weakens the effectiveness of a tough renegotiation policy but reduces fragility somewhat for a more lenient rescheduling condition.     

Tradeoffs Between Price and Quality: How a Value Index Affects

The present research examines how the availability of information about the value of a product, expressed as a ratio of the quality received per dollar, influences preference formation. This index, similar to unit price which provides information about how much quantity is received per dollar, presents consumers with information regarding the quality received per dollar. An experiment that compares consumers' preferences inferred from a choice task with their preferences inferred from a conjoint task was conducted. In the choice task consumers selected the most attractive alternative from a set of options, while in the conjoint task the attractiveness of each option was rated. Consumers, presented with an index of quality received per dollar paid (the value index), are more likely to choose a lower priced, higher value option rather than a higher priced, higher quality option compared to consumers presented with only price and quality information. Clearly, how a consumer chooses to “get the best for his or her money” depends on the ease with which information about the choices can be processed.     

The Impact of Volatility on Firms Holding Growth Options

“Abuses of real option valuation were partly behind the ramping and subsequent deramping of the 2000 internet techno bubble. No one ever got to eat the free lunch these real option 'theorists' promised. No one ever will; no one ever could.” (Mayor 2001, 53) Growth options contribute to over 95% of the market value of Internet stocks such as Amazon.com, America Online, and eBay. Finance theory often promotes market volatility as being desirable for investors holding financial options. Is volatility also desirable for firms holding growth options? While many argue that it is, this paper presents a simple example illustrating that increasing volatility can destroy growth option value, especially for firms holding “quality” growth options.     

Babies for Sale: Market Ethics and the New Reproductive Technologies

This paper proposes the presence of a sacred/profane continuum along which marketing exchanges may be made. The functioning of this continuum is illustrated through the examination of novel reproductive markets, e.g. surrogate mothers, in vitro fertilization, that “mix” aspects of sacred and profane exchange, resulting in anxiety and confusion for market participants and society as a whole. Some ethical guidelines for governing such mixed markets are suggested.     

Consumer Decision-Making Styles as a Function of Individual Learning Styles

The interrelations between individuals' learning styles and their consumer decision-making styles are explored. A Secondary Learning Styles Inventory is developed to measure six characteristics of learning, and a Consumer Styles Inventory is developed to measure eight characteristics of consumer decision making. Significant correlations between 21 of the 48 pairs of learning and consumer decision-making characteristics are found. Implications for the dissemination of consumer education and information are suggested.