International reserves: self-insurance and monetary policy in crisis
International Journal of Emerging Markets
ISSN: 1746-8809
Article publication date: 6 August 2020
Issue publication date: 14 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This work presents a model of a two-period economy to discuss the link between the precautionary motivation for holding international reserves and the country's monetary policy concerns due to a crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
There are two possible states of nature in the second period of the economy: a normal state and a crisis state. These states of nature represent uncertainty to the policy maker and he can insure against a crisis. The household has a constant-elasticity-of-substitution (CES) utility function, where utility depends on consumption and money.
Findings
By allowing money in the utility function and in the household financial constraint and considering that the objective of the central bank is to smooth inflation, it is concluded that monetary policy plays a role in the precautionary motivation of holding international reserves.
Practical implications
The model can be used to calculate optimal reserves holdings in its complete or even in its simplified version. Furthermore, it is possible to evaluate the impact of the intra-temporal substitution elasticity between consumption and real money in the decision of accumulating international reserves.
Originality/value
Higher intra-temporal substitution elasticities implies in more insurance via international reserves, and this discussion is not found in the existent literature on international reserves.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research had the support of Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior – CAPES. The author is thankful to the New York University, Department of Finance and Risk Engineering, where this research was developed.
Citation
Silva Junior, A.F.d.A.d. (2021), "International reserves: self-insurance and monetary policy in crisis", International Journal of Emerging Markets, Vol. 16 No. 8, pp. 1677-1696. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-09-2019-0677
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited