Risk Pooling, Intermediation Efficiency, and the Business Cycle

51 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2019 Last revised: 6 Aug 2022

See all articles by Pietro Dindo

Pietro Dindo

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia

Andrea Modena

University of Mannheim

Loriana Pelizzon

Goethe University Frankfurt - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration; Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE; Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia

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Date Written: March 30, 2020

Abstract

We study the relationship between intermediation efficiency and the macroeconomic dynamics within a tractable real business cycle model where: households face restricted market participation; financial intermediaries use leverage to provide costly risk pooling and safe assets. We analytically characterize the general equilibrium effects that associate intermediation costs to the output dynamics and find that a more (less) efficient financial sector can lead to higher (lower) growth, but also amplifies (dampens) output fluctuations. Relatedly, we identify the mechanisms by which the financial sector's impact on growth and its safe assets provision may generate pro- or counter-cyclical real risk-free rates.

Keywords: Amplification, business cycle, efficiency, dampening, restricted market participation, risk pooling

JEL Classification: E13, E32, E69, G12

Suggested Citation

Dindo, Pietro and Modena, Andrea and Pelizzon, Loriana, Risk Pooling, Intermediation Efficiency, and the Business Cycle (March 30, 2020). University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Dept. of Economics Research Paper Series No. 21, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3424531 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3424531

Pietro Dindo

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia ( email )

Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy

Andrea Modena (Contact Author)

University of Mannheim ( email )

L 7, 3-5
Mannheim, 68161
Germany
01601420817 (Phone)
60487 (Fax)

Loriana Pelizzon

Goethe University Frankfurt - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration ( email )

Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3
Frankfurt am Main, D-60323
Germany

Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE ( email )

Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3
Frankfurt am Main, 60323
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.safe-frankfurt.de

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia ( email )

Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy

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