House Prices,Wealth and Consumption: New Evidence from Australia and Canada

Over the past two decades, a number of countries have experienced appreciation in house prices at the same time that aggregate consumption has increased. This paper tests alternative hypotheses for this phenomenon by using repeated household surveys from Australia and Canada to identify the transmission mechanism that links consumption and household wealth. The empirical analysis suggests that neither a direct wealth effect nor a common causal factor likely accounts for the observed correlation between wealth and consumption in these two countries. Rather, indirect factors such as collateral effects arising from relaxation of credit constraints are a more likely explanation.     

Correcting for the Missing Rich: An Application to Wealth Survey Data

It is a well‐known criticism that if the distribution of wealth is highly concentrated, survey data are hardly reliable when it comes to analyzing the richest parts of society. This paper addresses this criticism by providing a general rationale of the underlying methodological problem as well as by proposing a specific methodological approach tailored to correcting the arising bias. We illustrate the latter approach by using Austrian data from the Household Finance and Consumption Survey. Specifically, we identify suitable parameter combinations by using a series of maximum‐likelihood estimates and appropriate goodness‐of‐fit tests to avoid arbitrariness with respect to the fitting of the Pareto distribution. Our results suggest that the alleged non‐observation bias is considerable, accounting for about one quarter of total net wealth in the case of Austria. The method developed in this paper can easily be applied to other countries where survey data on wealth are available.     

Parental Wealth and the Black–White Mobility Gap in the U.S.

Utilizing longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), this paper examines the relationship between parental wealth and intergenerational income mobility for black and white families. I find that total parental wealth is positively associated with upward mobility for low‐income white families, but is not associated with reduced likelihood of downward mobility for white families from the top half of the income distribution. Conversely, I find that total parental wealth does not have the same positive association for low‐income black families, while home ownership may have negative associations with the likelihood of upward mobility for these families. However, for black families from the top half of the income distribution, home equity is associated with a decreased likelihood of downward mobility, suggesting a heterogeneous relationship between home ownership and mobility for black families.     

Redistribution and growth: Pareto improvements

This paper analyzes the relationship between income distribution and economic growth. It introduces heterogeneous households who have preferences for leisure into Grossman and Helpman's model of endogenous growth (in which income distribution has no effect on economic growth). Wealth distribution affects the endogenous rate of growth as the labor supply of each individual responds inversely to his permanent income. When the labor Engel curve is concave (convex), unequal wealth distribution decreases (increases) the rate of growth. Pareto-improving-growth-enhancing wealth redistributions are characterized.     

从"兼顾公平"到"更加注重公平"的若干思考

自党的十四大以来,关于效率和公平的提法,经历了“兼顾效率与公平”———“效率优先、兼顾公平”———“更加注重公平”的三大变化。每一个提法都有客观背景,其中“效率优先、兼顾公平”的提法占统治地位12年之久。目前,这一提法已经不符合当前形势的要求,应由“更加注重社会公平”来取代,这是促进社会和谐的要求。     

对我国商业银行发展私人银行业务的探讨

私人银行业务是国际商业银行的高端业务，也是我国商业银行推动经营转型、向建立真正意义上的一流商业银行过渡必须要大力发展的业务。本文详细介绍了国际上商业银行私人银行业务的内容、产品、特点、组织形式、业务流程和重要经营方法。在此基础上，客观分析了我国当前商业银行私人银行业务发展的现状，进而从组织形式、业务品种、人才培养、风险防范等方面提出了我国商业银行发展私人银行业务的对策与思路。     

中国股票市场财富效应的再检验——以城镇居民为例

根据消费的生命周期--持久收入假说,股票市场的财富增加对居民消费有促进的作用,这就是所谓的"财富效应".国外的许多研究证实了股票市场财富效应的存在,而国内的一些研究则不认为我国股票市场存在财富效应.针对这种状况,文章以我国城镇居民为例,对我国股票市场的财富效应进行了再检验,结果发现,即使针对城镇居民这一拥有股票数量相对较多的群体而言,仍然没有显示出股票市场的财富效应.对这个结果,文章进行了初步的解释并提出有关的政策建议.     

中国股票市场财富效应的再检验——以城镇居民为例

根据消费的生命周期——持久收入假说,股票市场的财富增加对居民消费有促进的作用,这就是所谓的“财富效应”。国外的许多研究证实了股票市场财富效应的存在,而国内的一些研究则不认为我国股票市场存在财富效应。针对这种状况,文章以我国城镇居民为例,对我国股票市场的财富效应进行了再检验,结果发现．即使针对城镇居民这一拥有股票数量相对较多的群体而言,仍然没有显示出股票市场的财富效应。对这个结果,文章进行了初步的解释并提出有关的政策建议。     

The REIT Modernization Act of 1999

This article examines two effects of the passage of the REIT Modernization Act (RMA) of 1999: its impacts on REIT shareholder wealth and changes in REIT systematic risk in the period following its passage. The results indicate a modest positive wealth effect associated with the legislative events leading to its enactment. Our estimates of the wealth gain probably underestimate the true wealth gain because of the partially anticipated nature of the legislative process. We also document a significant decline in the systematic risk of REITs subsequent to the passage of the RMA. The evidence suggests that this decline is not attributable to a provision of the RMA that allows REITs to establish taxable subsidiaries.