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Competition in the US banking industry as measured by the Lerner Index has on average increased substantially during the last decade. At the same time, regional differences in competition on the state level have decreased considerably. Based on a dynamic panel framework we find that these developments are mainly driven by industry specific factors such as the costs to income ratio. The empirical evidence indicates that inefficiency and the Lerner index are significant negatively correlated. Macroeconomic conditions appear to have supported these trends in competition, however, to a somewhat lesser extent.

Die Federal Reserve ist laut dem Federal Reserve Act unter anderem dazu verpflichtet, stabile Preise zu gewährleisten. Das Erreichen dieses geldpolitischen Ziels wird offiziell auf Ebene der Verbraucherpreise angesiedelt. Darüber hinaus bekräftigt die FED, dass kein explizites Asset Price Targeting betrieben wird. Dienen jedoch Vermögenspreise implizit als geldpolitisches Ziel?

Niedrige oder sogar negative Realzinsen bestimmen seit Beginn der Krise die Kapitalmärkte in der Eurozone. Davon profitieren vor allem die Staatshaushalte in Ländern mit hoher öffentlicher Neuverschuldung. Sparer haben demgegenüber Schwierigkeiten, ihr Kapital rentierlich anzulegen. Die Autoren des Zeitgesprächs halten Finanzielle Repression für kein geeignetes Entschuldungsinstrument, weil sie nicht zielgenau wirkt, zu einer Fehlallokation von Kapital führt und mit der Gefahr einer weiteren Krise verbunden ist. ; Financial repression committed by central banks has been put forward as a means to secretly reduce the real burden of high public debts. Financial repression has allegedly played an important role in the impressive reduction of the US debt ratio after World War II. A mix of conventional budget consolidation and rapid growth was the main driver in this relative debt reduction with a minor role for financial repression. But does financial repression really exist? The authors express different opinions on evidence for this concept. Those authors who find that there are indicators of financial repression fear redistributive tendencies between debtors and creditors and high opportunity costs in the form of savings and investment distortions. Therefore, financial repression is not a 'cure' for the high public debts amassed in the euro area during the recent sovereign debt and banking crisis. Furthermore, the high sovereign debts in the euro area may threaten economic development and impose high costs on society. Therefore, reducing these debts is politically highly relevant, and fiscal policy should be characterised by a modest reduction in government spending and/or tax increases, combined with a policy promoting economic growth. Macroprudential regulations should supplement this financial policy.