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Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title Fixed rate versus adjustable rate mortgages: Evidence from euro area banks
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Ugo Albertazzi
  • Fulvia Fringuellotti
  • Steven Ongena
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title European Economic Review
Publisher Elsevier
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 0014-2921
Volume 161
Page Range 104643
Date 2024
Abstract Text Why do residential mortgages carry a fixed or an adjustable interest rate? To answer this question we study unique data from 103 banks belonging to 73 different banking groups across twelve countries in the euro area. To explain the large cross-country and time variations observed, we distinguish between household conditions that determine the local demand for credit and the characteristics of banks that supply credit. As bank funding mostly occurs at the group level, we disentangle these two sets of factors by comparing the outcome observed for the same banking group across the different countries. Local household conditions dominate. In particular we find that the share of new loans with a fixed rate is larger when: (1) the historical volatility of inflation is lower, (2) the correlation between unemployment and the short-term interest rate is higher, (3) households’ financial literacy is lower, and (4) the use of local mortgages to back covered bonds and of mortgage-backed securities is more widespread.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2023.104643
Other Identification Number merlin-id:24239
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Keywords Fixed rate versus adjustable rate mortgages, European banks, Household finance