Americas Debt Overhang Growth or Austerity, and other Policy Choices September 2009.
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Transcript of Americas Debt Overhang Growth or Austerity, and other Policy Choices September 2009.
America’s Debt Overhang Growth or Austerity, and other Policy Choices
September 2009
The Debt Overhang
The bursting of the housing and credit bubble has left the United States with a large debt overhang.
America’s total debt is at a historical high of 373% of GDP.
America’s debt as a percent of GDP has more than doubled since 1980, when it stood at 161%.
Total U.S. Debt as a Percent of GDP
100%
150%
200%
250%
300%
350%
400%
1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008
Source: Federal Reserve
2
Household And Financial Sector Debt
Household and financial sector debt has accounted for the lion’s share of the increase in debt since 1980.
Household debt climbed from 48% of GDP in 1980 to 97% in the first quarter of 2009.
Financial sector debt rose from 19% of GDP in 1980 to 120% in the first quarter of 2009.
Household, Financial Sector, and Government Debt as a Percent of GDP
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008
Households Financial Sector Government
Source: Federal Reserve
Financial Sector
Households
Government
3
Household Debt-Servicing Burden
Despite low interest rates, the debt-servicing burden for households has increased, taking a bigger bite out of incomes.
The debt service ratio – the ratio of debt payments to disposable personal income – rose from 11.1% in 1980 to 13.5% in 2009.
Debt Service Ratio
10%
11%
12%
13%
14%
15%
1980
Q1
1984
Q1
1988
Q1
1992
Q1
1996
Q1
2000
Q1
2004
Q1
2008
Q1
Source: Federal Reserve
4
Household Leverage
Residential property accounts for 85% of household debt.
10% of household debt is in installment loans and 3.5% is in credit card debt.
Middle-income households hold more debt as a percent of their disposable incomes than upper or lower income households.
5
U.S. Debt by Type
Credit Card Balances
Installment Loans (Auto,
Education)
Other Residence
Other
Primary Residence
Source: Federal Reserve
Rapid Decline In Household Wealth
The net worth of U.S. households and non-profit organizations fell $13.9 trillion from the second quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2009.
The ratio of household debt to financial assets has thus increased, making it more difficult for households to tap home equity and other assets to supplement incomes.
6
Household Net WorthUSD Trillions
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
$70
2003
Q1
2003
Q3
2004
Q1
2004
Q3
2005
Q1
2005
Q3
2006
Q1
2006
Q3
2007
Q1
2007
Q3
2008
Q1
2008
Q3
2009
Q1
Source: Federal Reserve
Government Debt Is Now Rising More Rapidly
Federal debt has increased because of falling tax revenues and the cost of government rescue programs.
Government debt will need to rise further to offset the effects of the deleveraging of the private sector.
Federal debt held by the public is projected to increase from 40.8% of GDP in 2008 to 68% in 2019, according to the CBO’s baseline projection.
Federal Debt Held by the Public as a Percent of GDP
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Source: Congressional Budget Office
7
But Is Within America’s Historical Experience
In the period following WWII, federal debt reached a peak of 113% of GDP in 1945 and remained above the projected 2009 level until 1956.
“We’re looking at debt levels that a number of advanced countries, the U.S. included, have had in the past, and dealt with.” Paul R. Krugman
New York Times
Federal Debt Held by the Public as a Percent of GDP
113%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Source: Congressional Budget Office
2009 debt level
projections
8
And Is Lower Than Other OECD Economies
U.S. government debt is within acceptable international norms.
In 2008, U.S. government debt was slightly below the OECD average.
After the bursting of Japan’s property bubble, its government debt increased from 47% of GDP in 1990 to 106% in 2000.
9
Government Debt as a Percent of GDP 2008
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
180%
Germ
any
Japa
n
United K
ingdom
United S
tate
s
Belgium
OECD Ave
rage
Source: OECD, National Statistics
America’s Federal Debt Servicing Remains Low
The debt-servicing burden on the federal debt is less than it was during the period from 1980 to 2001.
The debt-servicing burden in 2009 is 1.75% of GDP, down from 1.93% in 1980 and 3.28% in 1991.
It is lower because the government has been able to borrow recently at historically low interest rates.
10
Net Interest Payments as a Percent of GDP
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Source: Congressional Budget Office
Ownership Of U.S. Government Debt Is Widely DistributedThe three largest holders of U.S. Treasuries are the U.S. government (43%), foreign governments (29%), and mutual funds (6%).
Excluding U.S. government holdings, foreign governments and international investors hold 52% of Treasury Securities. China accounts for 23.5% of total foreign ownership.
Top Three Holders ofTreasury Securities
U.S. Government 43%
Foreign Governments 29%
Mutual Funds 6%
11
Estimated Ownership of U.S. Treasury SecuritiesMarch 2009
Other Investors
Foreign Governments
and International
Investors
U.S. Government
Depository Institutions
U.S. Savings Bonds
Pension Funds
Mutual Funds
State and Local Governments
Insurance Companies
Source: U.S. Treasury
America’s International Debt
America’s international debt has increased because of persistently high current account deficits.
America’s net overseas investment position has deteriorated $2.75 trillion over the past decade.
But, the U.S. has continued to run a positive net investment income balance – because we earn more on our overseas investments than foreigners earn on U.S. assets.
12
Net International Investment Position and Balance on Investment Income
-$4,000
-$3,000
-$2,000
-$1,000
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
US
D b
illio
ns
-$140
-$105
-$70
-$35
$0
$35
$70
$105
$140
US
D b
illio
ns
Net Investment Income
Net International Investment
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
Deleveraging Takes Time
Economies are slow to recover from financial crises, according to a study by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff.
On average:
• Housing prices decline 35.5 % over roughly six years.
• Recessions after financial crises last 1.9 years.
• Equity prices collapse 56% over 3.4 years.
• Unemployment rises 7% over nearly 5 years.
• Government debt increases by 86% during the three years following a financial crisis.
Real Housing Price Cycles and Banking Crises
-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20
Finland, 1991
Japan, 1992
Norway, 1987
Spain, 1977
Sweden, 1991
USA, 2007
Average
Magnitude of Decline % Duration in Years
Source: Rogoff and Reinhart, "Banking Crises: An Equal Opportunity Menace"
13
Why We Must Deleverage The Private Sector
A sustainable recovery, in which private investment and consumption drive growth, is not possible until the private sector has repaired its balance sheet.
Financial institutions must increase their capital in order to resume the scale of earlier lending to creditworthy borrowers.
Households need to increase their savings in order to pay down debts before they can increase consumption on a sustained basis.
“The restoration of normal credit creation should not be expected until the economy has adjusted to the disappearance of shadow bank credit, and until banks have created the capacity to resume lending to creditworthy borrowers.”
George Magnus
Senior Economic AdviserUBS Investment Bank
14
Banks Are Improving Capital Ratios By Lending Less
The drying up of consumer credit has been more severe than in any previous recession.
Consumer credit fell by $21.6 billion in July, the largest drop since the government started to keep records in 1943.
Previous recoveries have benefited from an expansion of consumer credit, but banks are still tightening credit.
15
Consumer Credit and Recessions
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Recessions Consumer Credit, Year-on-Year Change
Source: Federal Reserve
IMF: Banks Need More Capital
As of April, the IMF estimated that U.S. banks would need capital injections of $275 billion to return to pre-crisis leverage ratios.
To reach leverage ratios from the middle of the 1990s, banks would need $500 billion in capital injections.
Given the questionable quality of the assets on their balance sheets, banks will probably need to make more provisions for bad debts from mortgages, commercial real estate, auto and personal loans, and credit cards.
“It is proving difficult to effectively implement measures that fully address the problem of impaired assets on banks’ balance sheets, leaving banks vulnerable to a further deterioration in the quality of these assets if the global downturn is deeper, and more prolonged, than projected.”
IMF Global Financial Stability Report MarketUpdate - July 08, 2009
16
More “Problem” Institutions, More Bank Failures
"Problem" Institutions
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
200
6-I
200
6-II
200
6-II
I
200
6-IV
200
7-I
200
7-II
200
7-II
I
200
7-IV
200
8-I
200
8-II
200
8-II
I
200
8-IV
200
9-I
200
9-II
Source: FDIC
FDIC Bank Failures per Month
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Dec-0
7
Jan-
08
Feb-
08
Mar
-08
Apr-08
May
-08
Jun-
08
Jul-0
8
Aug-08
Sep-08
Oct-0
8
Nov-0
8
Dec-0
8
Jan-
09
Feb-
09
Mar
-09
Apr-09
May
-09
Jun-
09
Jul-0
9
Aug-09
Source: FDIC
17
The number of “problem” financial institutions is at a 15-year high and increasing.
Commercial Real Estate Exposure
At the end of the first quarter of 2009, banks held $1.8 trillion of outstanding debt associated with commercial real estate.
The May stress tests found that banks would suffer $53 billion in losses on their commercial real estate holdings. Deutsche Bank estimates losses could be $115 – $150 billion, not including losses on Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS).
Commercial real estate prices have fallen 36% and are likely to continue falling as vacancy rates remain high, unemployment rises, and the market for CMBS deteriorates.
Percent of Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) in Delinquency
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
Aug-08
Sep-08
Oct-08
Nov-08
Dec-08
Jan-09
Feb-09
Mar-09
Apr-09
May-09
Jun-09
Jul-09
Source: Realpoint
18
Options For Financial Sector Balance Sheet Repair (Other than by Reducing Lending)
1. Profit inflation. A steep yield curve enables banks to borrow cheaply and lend at higher interest rates.
2. Private equity issuance. Banks can issue more equity, thereby increasing their capital.
3. Debt-for-equity swaps.Bondholders can be asked to trade debt for equity, reducing a bank’s debt load and increasing its capital.
“Even a banker can make money with a steep yield curve.”
Larry KudlowCNBC
4. Bank consolidation.Stronger banks can take
over weaker banks.
5. Public recapitalization.
The U.S. government can inject more capital
into banks.
19
How Much Must the Household Sector Delever?
The debt-to-disposable income ratio for U.S. households is currently 127%.
• To reduce the debt-income ratio to 115%, households must eliminate $1.75 trillion of debt.*
• To reduce the debt-income ratio to 91% (1990-2000 average), $4.35 trillion of debt must be eliminated.*
*Assumes constant incomesSource: Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Debt-to-Personal Disposable Income Ratio
115%
91%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
1952 1959 1966 1973 1980 1987 1994 2001 2008
Source: Federal Reserve, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
First Quarter 2009 127%
20
Household Deleveraging Has Barely Begun
“At the end of the first quarter of 2009, the ratio of gross household debt to GDP was a mere 2% lower than at the end of 2007.”
Martin WolfFinancial Times
21
Since consumer credit peaked in 2008, Americans have cut just $110 billion worth of credit, leaving much more deleveraging to come.
Total Consumer Credit OutstandingUSD Trillions
$0.0
$0.5
$1.0
$1.5
$2.0
$2.5
$3.0
Jan-80 Jan-85 Jan-90 Jan-95 Jan-00 Jan-05 Jan-10
Source: Federal Reserve
$110 billion drop
And More Problems Lie Ahead
Mortgage resets — many from low initial teaser rates — will not peak until 2010.
Many households therefore will face rising mortgage payments, putting additional upward pressure on already high foreclosure rates.
Even foreclosures for prime fixed-rate mortgages are on the rise. In the first quarter of 2009, 5.7% of prime fixed-rate loans were overdue or in foreclosure, up from 3.2% a year earlier.
22
Prime Fixed-Rate Mortgage Foreclosures as a Share of Total Foreclosures
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Second Quarter 2008 Second Quarter 2009
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association
U.S. Homeowners Underwater and Sinking
Roughly one quarter of U.S. homeowners are underwater.
Today 24% of mortgage holders owe more on their homes than their homes are worth.
Deutsche Bank estimates this number will increase to 48% by the first quarter of 2011.
Underwater Mortgages as a Percent of Owner Occupied Homes
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
NationalAverage
California Arizona Nevada
Source: Moody’s Economy.com
23
Households Will Be Hit Further By Rising Unemployment
Housing prices have shown some improvement recently, but are not likely to stabilize as long as unemployment is rising.
24
“The economy is now moving from a bubble housing crisis to an unemployment housing crisis. According to a study by the New York Times, 60 percent of the mortgage defaults this year will be set off primarily by unemployment, up from 29 percent last year.”
“Not Out of the Woods”New America Foundation
Unemployment Rate and Broader Measure of Unemployment (U-6*)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Jan-1999
Jan-2000
Jan-2001
Jan-2002
Jan-2003
Jan-2004
Jan-2005
Jan-2006
Jan-2007
Jan-2008
Jan-2009
*Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached w orkers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached w orkers.Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
U-6
Official Rate
Household Deleveraging Depends On Higher Savings
Since the beginning of the recession, households have increased their savings.
The personal savings rate has increased from 1.4% to 4.6% since the beginning of the recession.
The savings rate will need to revert to pre-bubble levels of 6% to 8% in order for household debt to decline significantly.
25
Personal Savings Rate Since the Beginning of the Crisis
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
2007
-01-
01
2007
-03-
01
2007
-05-
01
2007
-07-
01
2007
-09-
01
2007
-11-
01
2008
-01-
01
2008
-03-
01
2008
-05-
01
2008
-07-
01
2008
-09-
01
2008
-11-
01
2009
-01-
01
2009
-03-
01
2009
-05-
01
Recession Begins
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
Deleveraging Would Be Facilitated By Rising Incomes
But, increasing savings will constrain consumer demand unless employment, wages, and weekly hours also increase.
If consumption is to remain at current levels and the savings rate is to return to pre-bubble levels, personal disposable income would have to increase by more than 2%.
Household deleveraging therefore depends on rising wages or increased government transfers.
26
Average Weekly Hours Of Production Workers
33
33.1
33.2
33.3
33.4
33.5
33.6
33.7
33.8
33.9
34
Jan
2007
Apr 2
007
Jul 2
007
Oct 20
07
Jan
2008
Apr 2
008
Jul 2
008
Oct 20
08
Jan
2009
Apr 2
009
Jul 2
009
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Other Household Deleveraging Options
BankruptcyThe Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act passed in 2005 has made bankruptcy more difficult for many households and businesses.
Mortgage ReliefThe current homeowner relief program has had limited effect to date. New measures will therefore be needed.
Targeted Debt ReliefOther than the debt relief granted to the auto and the financial sectors, few other sectors have benefited from debt relief.
Proposed Relief for Student LoansUnder the “Debt Swap” plan proposed by Senator Sherrod Brown, the federal government would give out-of-school adult borrowers with high cost private student loan debt the ability to refinance $8,000 in debt into low-cost, unsubsidized, federal Stafford student loans.
This would save over $2,000 in interest payments over the life of a typical student loan.
27
Can We Grow Our Way Out of Debt?
Our experience after WWII suggests we can.
Federal debt held by the public declined from 80% of GDP in 1948 to 28% in 1970.
The growth rate averaged 3.9% during this period, outstripping almost continuous government deficits.
Public Debt and GDP Growth, 1945-1970
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970
% G
DP
Gro
wth
-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Deb
t H
eld
by
the
Pu
bli
c as
% o
f G
DP
% GDP Growth (left) Debt Held by the Public as % of GDP (right)
.
-11%
Source: Congressional Budget Office, Bureau of Economic Analysis
28
But We Need A Growth Strategy For Today’s Private Sector Debt Overhang
Government will need to lever up in order for the private sector to delever.
Public investment (along with global demand) will need to offset weaker demand from consumption and private investment to spur growth.
Economic growth is needed to increase incomes and wages in order for households to increase their savings and pay down debt.
29
“Budget deficits have an important role to play in facilitating the deleveraging process of the private sector so that it does not cause a massive economic contraction.”
Thomas PalleySchwartz Economic Fellow
New America Foundation
Servicing Public Debt Costs Less Than Servicing Private Debt
Facilitating the reduction of private sector debt by increasing government debt to stimulate economic growth would:
• Reduce the overall debt-servicing burden because interest rates on government debt are lower than interest rates on private sector debt.
• Distribute the burden of debt more evenly and more fairly.
• Relieve stress on U.S. banks and put more risk onto foreign debt holders.
30
Interest Rates on Consumer Loans and Government Debt
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Inte
rest
Rat
e
Credit (All) 48-Mo. New Car 10 Yr. Treasury
10-Year Treasury Bond
All Consumer Credit Card Loans
48-Mo. New Car Loan
Source: U.S. Treasury, Federal Reserve
Government Sector Debt Has Room To Grow
“Markets should not focus just on government issuance, but look at the bigger debt picture.… Government debt may be ballooning but corporate and household debt is shrinking. So the total stock of debt in the economy is not rising.”
Dhaval Joshi RAB Capital
The government debt-servicing burden remains less than it was in 1991 because of low interest rates.
Overall U.S. borrowing has declined and is expected to grow slowly in the future, allowing the government to issue more debt without the fear of driving up interest rates.
The global demand for U.S. Treasuries remains high because of the role Treasuries play in providing liquidity to the nation’s financial system and because of the principal reserve currency role of the U.S. dollar.
31
A Public Investment Deleveraging And Growth Strategy
32
Public Investment offsets weaker consumer demand and private investment, supporting economic growth.
Economic Growth raises incomes and wages, allowing households to reduce debt without cutting consumption.
Higher Growth Rates increase tax revenues, bringing down the budget deficit and the federal debt.
Demand
from public investment and demand for U.S. exports spurs private investment, further adding to GDP.