Calibrated models of the business cycle typically assume a certain frequency at which economic agents take decisions. In this paper I show that the local stability properties of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium macro models may depend on the length of a period in the model economy. This...

This paper quantifies the extent of heterogeneity in consumption responses to changes in real interest rates and house prices in the four largest economies in the euro area: France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. We first calibrate a life-cycle incomplete-markets model with a liquid financial asset...

We provide a model with endogenous portfolios of secured and unsecured household debt. Secured debt is collateralized by owner-occupied housing whereas unsecured debt can be discharged according to bankruptcy regulations. We show that the calibrated model matches important quantitative...