Amplifying Transmission of Monetary Policy Through Deposit Competition

Objavljeno: 18.6.2026.
Publikacija Istraživanja
Autori Bono Beriša, Ivan Mužić and Jurica Zrnc
Datum Lipanj 2026.
ISSN 1334-0077

We study the effects of a government initiative aimed at increasing the passthrough of monetary tightening to deposit rates. A large state-owned bank responded first to the initiative with a sharp and unexpected deposit rate increase. Competing banks quickly followed, albeit with substantial heterogeneity. The resulting deposit-rate shock led to a sizable increase in term deposits, driven primarily by ex-ante liquidity-rich individuals. Using matched deposit and residential real-estate purchase data at the individual level, we document a strong portfolio-rebalancing effect away from real estate. At the same time, consumption remains unchanged. Despite the sizable deposit reallocation, the shock does not affect the supply of loans to firms or households, consistent with high pre-existing bank liquidity. This setting
provides a unique opportunity to uncover the effects of increased deposit competition and the ensuing deposit-rate shock on household portfolios, consumption, and bank lending.