The Duration of Bank Retail Interest Rates

Abstract

We examine the rigidity of retail deposit and loan rates by applying duration analysis on uniquely rich data. We find that the retail rate dynamics are state-dependent. An important determinant of the duration of retail interest rates are the dynamics of the wholesale (market and monetary policy) interest rates. We also show that the reaction to positive and negative wholesale interest rate changes is strongly asymmetric. Moreover, retail rate durations are significantly modified by bank and market characteristics, such as the size of the bank, its market share in a given local market, and its geographical scope.