With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Macroprudential Tools at Work in Canada

Author/Editor:

Ivo Krznar ; James Morsink

Publication Date:

May 12, 2014

Electronic Access:

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Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

The goal of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the policy measures taken by Canadian authorities to address the housing boom. We find that the the last three rounds of macroprudential policies implemented since 2010 were associated with lower mortgage credit growth and house price growth. The international experience suggests that—in addition to tighter loan-to-value limits and shorter amortization periods—lower caps on the debt-to-income ratio and higher risk weights could be effective if the housing boom were to reignite. Over the medium term, the authorities could consider structural measures to further improve the soundness of housing finance.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2014/083

Subject:

English

Publication Date:

May 12, 2014

ISBN/ISSN:

9781484383445/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA2014083

Pages:

38

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