Economic Research and Data
Features
- Bank Executive Pay
- In the wake of the financial crisis and the unprecedented government intervention that followed, the compensation of bank executives has been heavily criticized for having encouraged undue risk taking. We examine trends in executive compensation over the past couple of decades, and look for compensation patterns that might have implications for banks’ risk-taking behavior. Read more
- The Homebuyer Tax Credit
- The homebuyer tax credits that were intended to aid the floundering housing market have recently expired. Were the programs enough to jump start the housing market or did they merely cannibalize future sales? Read more
- Renminbi Peg: On Again, Off Again
- The People’s Bank of China indicated—once again—that it would loosen its grip on the renminbi-dollar exchange rate and allow the renminbi to appreciate against the dollar. All else constant, a renminbi appreciation should raise the dollar price of Chinese goods, lower the renminbi price of U.S. goods, and whittle away at our trade deficit with that country. But unless the exchange rate moves by a substantial amount, we probably will not see much of an effect. Since the People’s Bank’s announcement, the renminbi has appreciated a meager 0.7 percent against the dollar. Read more