Negative Nominal Interest Rates: Three ways to overcome the zero lower bound / Willem H. Buiter.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Buiter, Willem H.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w15118.

NBER working paper series no. w15118

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Negative Nominal Interest Rates

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2009.

Summary:

The paper considers three methods for eliminating the zero lower bound on nominal interest rates and thus for restoring symmetry to domain over which the central bank can vary its policy rate. They are: (1) abolishing currency (which would also be a useful crime-fighting measure); (2) paying negative interest on currency by taxing currency; and (3) decoupling the numéraire from the currency/medium of exchange/means of payment and introducing an exchange rate between the numéraire and the currency which can be set to achieve a forward discount (expected depreciation) of the currency vis-a-vis the numéraire when the nominal interest rate in terms of the numéraire is set at a negative level for monetary policy purposes.

Notes:

Print version record

June 2009.