U.S. banks have shuttered nearly 5,000 branches since the financial crisis, raising concerns that more low-income and minority neighborhoods may be devolving into “banking deserts” with inadequate, or no, mainstream financial services.
Look for our next post on September 19.
Banking Deserts, Branch Closings, and Soft Information
Hey, Economist! How Well Do We Weather Snowstorms?
In a Q&A interview, the New York Fed’s Jason Bram sheds light on how economists measure the cost of a snowstorm.
Would Monetary Tightening Increase Bank Wholesale Funding?
Dong Beom Choi and Hyun-Soo Choi The recent financial crisis clearly revealed that the reliance of banks on short-term wholesale funding critically increased their funding liquidity risks; during market disruptions, it becomes more likely that banks will be unable to roll over those funds and will hence be forced to fire-sell illiquid assets and possibly […]
The “Cadillac Tax”: Driving Firms to Change Their Plans?
Since the 1940s, employers that provide health insurance for their employees can deduct the cost as a business expense, but the government does not treat the value of that coverage as taxable income.
From the Vault: The Path of Interest Rates
Just Released: Five New Data Series on Consumer Expectations
The Graying of American Debt

The U.S. population is aging and so are its debts. In this post, we use the New York Fed Consumer Credit Panel, which is based on Equifax credit data, to look at how debt is changing as baby boomers reach retirement age and millennials find their footing. We find that aggregate debt balances held by younger borrowers have declined modestly from 2003 to 2015, with a debt portfolio reallocation away from credit card, auto, and mortgage debt, toward student debt. Debt held by borrowers between the ages of 50 and 80, however, increased by roughly 60 percent over the same time period. This shifting of debt from younger to older borrowers is of obvious relevance to markets fueled by consumer credit. It is also relevant from a loan performance perspective as consumer debt payments are being made by older debtors than ever before.
Whither Mortgages?
Did Third Avenue’s Liquidation Reduce Corporate Bond Market Liquidity?

Tobias Adrian, Michael J. Fleming, Erik Vogt, and Zachary Wojtowicz The announced liquidation of Third Avenue’s high-yield Focused Credit Fund (FCF) on December 9, 2015, drew widespread attention and reportedly sent ripples through asset markets. Events of this kind have the potential to increase the demand for market liquidity, as investors revise expectations, reassess risk […]
Quantifying Potential Spillovers from Runs on High‑Yield Funds

On December 9, 2015, Third Avenue Focused Credit Fund (FCF) announced a “Plan of Liquidation,” effectively halting investor redemptions.