Inflation, Nominal Portfolios, and Wealth Redistribution in Canada Staff Working Paper 2008-19 Césaire Meh, Yaz Terajima There is currently a policy debate on potential refinements to monetary policy regimes in countries with low and stable inflation such as the U.S. and Canada. For example, in Canada, a systematic review of the current inflation targeting framework is underway. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation and prices, Inflation targets, Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework, Sectoral balance sheet JEL Code(s): D, D3, D31, D5, D58, E, E3, E31, E5, E50
Uncertainty, Inflation, and Welfare Staff Working Paper 2008-13 Jonathan Chiu, Miguel Molico This paper studies the welfare costs and the redistributive effects of inflation in the presence of idiosyncratic liquidity risk, in a micro-founded search-theoretical monetary model. We calibrate the model to match the empirical aggregate money demand and the distribution of money holdings across households, and study the effects of inflation under the implied degree of market incompleteness. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): E, E4, E40, E5, E50
Inflation Targeting and Price-Level-Path Targeting in the GEM: Some Open Economy Considerations Staff Working Paper 2008-6 Donald Coletti, René Lalonde, Dirk Muir This paper compares the performance of simple inflation targeting (IT) and price-level path targeting (PLPT) rules to stabilize the macroeconomy, in response to a series of shocks, similar to those seen in Canada and the United States over the 1983 to 2004 period. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Economic models, Inflation and prices, Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): C, C5, C51, C52, E, E1, E17, E3, E31, E5, E52
December 14, 2007 The Costs of Inflation in New Keynesian Models Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2007-2008 Steve Ambler Ambler describes three new channels through which inflation affects economic welfare in New Keynesian models. These channels were absent from traditional analyses and may have caused researchers to underestimate the costs associated with variable inflation, even at relatively low levels of inflation. The article concludes with a preliminary assessment of the quantitative importance of the new channels and their significance for monetary policy. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework
December 11, 2007 The Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates: Implications for Monetary Policy Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2007-2008 Claude Lavoie, Stephen Murchison One of the most important factors that must be considered if countries are thinking about lowering the target level of inflation much below 2 per cent is the zero interest bound. Targeting inflation rates that are too low, the authors note, may restrict the ability of monetary policy to respond to economic shocks by limiting the amount by which interest rates can be eased. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Interest rates, Monetary policy implementation
Trend Inflation, Wage and Price Rigidities, and Welfare Staff Working Paper 2007-42 Robert Amano, Kevin Moran, Stephen Murchison, Andrew Rennison This paper studies the steady-state costs of inflation in a general-equilibrium model with real per capita output growth and staggered nominal price and wage contracts. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits JEL Code(s): E, E0, E5
Liquidity, Redistribution, and the Welfare Cost of Inflation Staff Working Paper 2007-39 Jonathan Chiu, Miguel Molico This paper studies the long run welfare costs of inflation in a micro-founded model with trading frictions and costly liquidity management. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits JEL Code(s): E, E4, E40, E5, E50
Cross-Country Estimates of the Degree of Fiscal Dominance and Central Bank Independence Staff Working Paper 2007-36 Carlos De Resende This paper studies the interdependence between fiscal and monetary policies, and their joint role in the determination of the price level. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Central bank research, Fiscal policy, Inflation: costs and benefits JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E4, E42, E5, E50, E6, E63
The Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates: Implications for the Optimal Monetary Policy in Canada Staff Discussion Paper 2007-1 Claude Lavoie, Hope Pioro The authors assess the performance of the Canadian economy under a variety of interest rate rules when the zero bound on nominal interest rates can bind. Their assessment is based on numerical simulations of a dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium model in a stochastic environment. Consistent with the literature, the authors find that the probability and consequences […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Interest rates, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, E47, E5, E52
December 20, 2006 Why Monetary Policy Matters: A Canadian Perspective Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2006-2007 Christopher Ragan This article provides answers to several key questions about Canadian monetary policy. First, what is monetary policy? Second, why does the Bank of Canada focus on the control of inflation rather than other macroeconomic variables? Third, how do the Bank's actions influence the rate of inflation? And, finally, how can monetary policy deliver genuine and significant benefits to society? Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework