Treasury Safety, Liquidity, and Money Premium Dynamics: Evidence from Debt Limit Impasses

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking
Year: 2023
Volume: 55
Issue: 6
Pages: 1475-1506

Authors (3)

DAVID CASHIN (not in RePEc) ERIN E. SYRON FERRIS (not in RePEc) ELIZABETH KLEE (Federal Reserve Board (Board o...)

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

Treasury securities enjoy a “money premium” because they are ultra‐safe and liquid. However, during debt limit impasses, the safety and liquidity of Treasury securities temporarily deteriorate, eroding the money premium. Using past impasses, we find the money premium eroded by roughly six basis points across all Treasury securities and up to 50 basis points for the shortest maturities at the greatest risk of a delayed principal payment. Safety and liquidity each accounted for about half of the erosion. The deterioration of safety and liquidity also appears to interact, consistent with theories of default‐driven liquidity risk and the information sensitivity of debt.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:jmoncb:v:55:y:2023:i:6:p:1475-1506
Journal Field
Macro
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25