US

Non-Bank Financial Intermediaries

Question A:

Non-bank financial intermediaries pose a substantial threat to financial stability.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

Regulating the leverage and liquidity of non-bank financial intermediaries would substantially improve financial stability.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question C:

Given current regulations, non-bank financial intermediaries should not have access to central bank support.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Sudden defaults or unwind risk can destabilize financial markets. Consider for example the leverage-driven investors than destabilized the gilt market in September 2022.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Disagree
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Finkelstein
Amy Finkelstein
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Only because of unwise implicit government bailout policies.
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Any firm that finances illiquid long-run investments with liquid short-run liabilities runs the risks of failure which then makes runs more likely.
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
In one case, direct lending / private credit, stability has been improved because it has moved from highly leveraged, duration mismatched banks to less leveraged, duration matched funds. Uncertain, because you never know what else is out there.
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
How many times do some of these entities need to get bailed out before we find a way to improve their resilience and the regulatory tools to address future problems?
-see background information here
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
We saw such a threat play out when AIG got into trouble during the financial crisis of 2008-9
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
It is strange and inefficient to have a series of regulations for banks, but so little for non-bank financial intermediaries. This asymmetry would likely become more consequential with decentralized finance and digital assets.
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Given the innovation, it seems challenging for regulation to truly keep pace.
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
I bear in mind that the question considers only the undoubted benefit of regulation, financial stability, with which I strongly agree, and does not ask about any associated costs.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Finkelstein
Amy Finkelstein
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
It seems almost impossible to get the regulators to function
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Regulations often have loopholes that these firms will find and exploit.
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
Again, move to direct lending / private credit has improved stability by moving from banks. More regulation would hurt. Uncertain, because it is a very broad question.
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
This could help, but details matter, especially which entities and markets are covered and how. Substantial is a high bar.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
We regulate banks for good reasons, that are also good reasons for regulating non-bank financial institutions.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
This is a game of whack-a-mole. Leverage will pop up in some unregulated sector.
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History

Question C Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
The moral hazard problem is clear in this case.
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
When crisis erupts they might get access anyways ex-post to avoid a deeper crisis. It is difficult for the Fed to commit not to grant ex-post access.
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
It is hard to imagine that there arent (possibly penal) terms at whoch it might sometimes make sense.
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Uncertain
10
Bio/Vote History
Hard call. Obvious benefits and obvious costs. Except in extreme emergencies, central banks should provide last-resort lending to regulated firms.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Finkelstein
Amy Finkelstein
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
The big problem seems to be access to bailouts, not lending
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
It is difficult for the central bank to commit to such policies.
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Blanket bad would involve taking a lot of risk, much better to work on fixing the regulations and making the regulatory system more flexible.
-see background information here
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
The ability to bail AIG out was important to financial stability in 2008-9
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
There are different kinds of support that might improve financial stability without incurring excessive moral hazard.
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
There is a delicate trade-off between the moral hazard created by central bank support of non-banks and the increased fragility induced by the lack of support. Support at some but a lower level would be a reasonable compromise.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
However CBs may find it difficult to deny access to a non-bank financial institution unable to fulfill commitments.
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Not sure why this would be stabilizing.
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
It would be great to commit to this, but the policy is time inconsistent.
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History