Episodes of sovereign default are typically associated with significant economic costs. The International Monetary Fund can help to mitigate these costs in a variety of ways, including by lending into arrears. Careful design of the broad policy framework governing the Fund's involvement can help...

We develop a model in which countries can protect themselves against shocks by subscribing to a credit union that shares the key features of the International Monetary Fund, or by self-insuring through accumulating reserves. We assess the impact of the increasing heterogeneity of the Fund's...