Interest on Reserves and Sunspot Equilibria: Friedman's Proposal Reconsidered

S-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Studies
Year: 1991
Volume: 58
Issue: 1
Pages: 93-105

Authors (1)

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Friedman's (1960) proposal to pay interest on (required) reserves is considered in a setting that eliminates the indeterminacy of steady-state equilibrium discussed by Sargent and Wallace (1985). In an overlapping-generations model where the real rate of interest is technologically determined, the payment of interest on reserves results in a determinate, Pareto optimal steady-state equilibrium. However, interest payments on reserves reduce the steady-state welfare of all young agents and, for many economies, result in the existence of stationary sunspot equilibria. This is the case even if such equilibria cannot exist when reserves do not earn interest.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:restud:v:58:y:1991:i:1:p:93-105.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29