In this chapter, we review and discuss the large body of research that has developed over the past 10-plus years that explores the interconnection of macroeconomics, finance, and housing. We focus on three major topics—housing and the business cycle, housing and portfolio choice, and housing...

We study the effect of home equity and indebtedness on financial portfolio choices of Dutch households during the period 2006-2012. Using a large administrative dataset at the household level we estimate how home equity and the outstanding mortgage amount influence the share of liquid assets...

Mixed-asset portfolio optimization consists in determining the best allocation among standard financial assets such as money market accounts, bonds, stocks and real estate asset as well. For this latter kind of asset, computing the optimal weight can be challenging. First, there is the need to...

We investigate the determinants of a household's decision on whether to invest in risky financial assets. Financial theory suggests that with increasing labor income risk, the reluctance of households to hold stocks increases. We propose to measure income risk as the observed variation of...

What determines the risk structure of financial portfolios of German households? In this paper we estimate the determinants of the share of financial wealth invested in three broad risk classes. We employ a new econometric approach - the so called fractional multinomial logit model - which...

This paper studies the effects of the U.S. rising earnings inequality between the late 1960s and the mid 1990s on the portfolio allocation and prices of assets. In order to investigate the link, a life-cycle general equilibrium model is constructed where distinct characteristics of the housing...

Unemployment leads to large and persistent income losses for workers. Higher unemployment in the labor market therefore has spillover effects on the housing market. This paper studies such spillover effects from both empirical and theoretical perspectives. Using data from the Current Population...

The well-documented nonparticipation in the stock market by many households and the highly negative correlation between stock and housing investment are puzzling. We show that stock and housing markets are cointegrated, and thus households significantly increase housing expenditure, reduce stock...

Economic theory suggests that households should invest their financial wealth in a combination of cash and a well-diversified equity portfolio. Yet, many households' equity investments are strongly concentrated in a few assets. Attempts to explain this discrepancy have included low levels of...

Household investment mistakes are an important concern for researchers and policymakers alike; portfolio underdiversification ranks among those mistakes that are potentially most costly. However, its roots and empirical importance are poorly understood. I estimate quantitatively meaningful...