Robert C. Merton
There are 7 articles for this faculty member.
Systemic Risk and the Refinancing Ratchet Effect
| Authors: | Amir E. Khandani, Andrew W. Lo, and Robert C. Merton |
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| Published: | October 1, 2009 |
| Paper Release Date: | September 2009 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
During periods of rising house prices, falling interest rates, and increasingly competitive and efficient refinancing markets, cash-out refinancing is like a ratchet, incrementally increasing homeowner debt as real-estate values appreciate without the ability to symmetrically decrease debt by increments as real-estate values decline. This paper suggests that systemic risk in the housing and mortgage markets can arise quite naturally from the confluence of these three apparently salutary economic trends. Using a numerical simulation of the U.S. mortgage market, the researchers show that the ratchet effect is capable of generating the magnitude of losses suffered by mortgage lenders during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. These observations have important implications for risk management practices and regulatory reform.
Published in 2008
Financial Crisis Caution Urged by Faculty Panel
| Q&A with: | Jay Light, Robert C. Merton, David Moss, Nicolas Retsinas, Clayton Rose |
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| Published: | September 29, 2008 |
| Feature: | Views on News |
Dean Jay O. Light and a group of Harvard Business School faculty explored the origins and possible outcomes of the U.S. financial crisis at a recent "Turmoil on the Street" panel.
New Framework for Measuring and Managing Macrofinancial Risk and Financial Stability
| Authors: | Dale F. Gray, Robert C. Merton, and Zvi Bodie |
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| Published: | September 23, 2008 |
| Paper Release Date: | August 2008 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
This paper proposes a set of leading indicators of macrofinancial distress that can be helpful to policymakers and regulators in preparing for, mitigating, and maybe even preventing a credit crisis. These early-warning indicators of crisis are based on modern contingent claims analysis (CCA), which are successfully used today at the level of individual banks by managers, investors, and regulators. The authors' ultimate objective is to provide new tools to help governments and central banks manage financial sector risks.
Rethinking Retirement Planning
| Published: | June 30, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Many of us are relying on defined contribution plans to help fund retirement. But Harvard Business School professor Robert C. Merton believes today's plans are not sustainable. So what's next? A new way to look at the problem.
Published in 2006
A New Framework for Analyzing and Managing Macrofinancial Risks of An Economy
| Authors: | Dale F. Gray, Robert C. Merton and Zvi Bodie |
|---|---|
| Published: | November 13, 2006 |
| Paper Release Date: | October 2006 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
The vulnerability of a national economy to volatility in the global markets for credit, currencies, commodities, and other assets has become a central concern of policymakers, credit analysts, and investors everywhere. This paper describes a new framework for analyzing a country's exposure to macroeconomic risks based on the theory and practice of contingent claims analysis. (A contingent claim is any financial asset for which future payoff depends on the value of another asset.) In this framework, the sectors of a national economy are viewed as interconnected portfolios of assets, liabilities, and guarantees that can be analyzed like puts and calls. The framework makes it transparent how risks are transferred across sectors, and how they can accumulate in the balance sheet of the public sector and ultimately lead to a default by the government.
Unlocking Your Investment Capital
| Q&A with: | Robert C. Merton |
|---|---|
| Published: | March 20, 2006 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
By reassessing risk exposure, many companies can create more equity capacity to fund investments, says Harvard Business School professor Robert C. Merton. Just don't leave it up to the Finance Department.
Published in 2003
Expensing Options Won’t Hurt High Tech
| Published: | May 19, 2003 |
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| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Will expensing stock options harm the competitiveness of start-ups? Not likely, say Zvi Bodie, Robert S. Kaplan, and Robert C. Merton in this Harvard Business Review excerpt.
