LIQUIDITY AND INEFFICIENT INVESTMENT

We study consumer liquidity in a general equilibrium model where the friction is the nonpledgeability of future income. Liquidity helps to overcome the absence of a double coincidence of wants. Consumers over-hoard liquidity and the resulting competitive equilibrium is constrained inefficient. Fiscal policy following a large negative shock can increase ex-ante welfare. If the government cannot commit, the ex-post optimal fiscal policy will be too small from an ex-ante perspective. The model throws light on the holding of foreign reserves in international markets.