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NIPA – Flow of Funds Accounts Integration . BEA Government Statistics Users Conference. Charlotte Anne Bond Special Studies Branch September 14, 2006. Introduction. International standards call for these integrated accounts
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NIPA – Flow of Funds Accounts Integration BEA Government Statistics Users Conference Charlotte Anne Bond Special Studies Branch September 14, 2006
Introduction • International standards call for these integrated accounts • In the U.S., the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) produces income and capital accounts: National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs) • The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) produces financial accounts: Flow of Funds Accounts (FFAs) • BEA and FRB are currently working to integrate the accounts to create a balance sheet that meets international guidelines
Background • The NIPAs show nonfinancial accounts and the FFAs feature financial accounts; together they provide a comprehensive picture of the government sector. • While the concepts in both accounts are the same, differing data sources and estimation methods employed cause the results to differ
Thrust of this Project • Improve the quality and usefulness • Ensure consistent boundaries • Identify more data sources • Increase communication while preparing estimates
Flow of Funds Tables • Efforts to improve statistical consistency in the government accounts • FFA Tables F.105 (State and Local Government) and F.106 (Federal Government) • The focus of my example is on the Federal accounts; however, similar concerns exist for the State and Local accounts
F.106 Federal Government Lines 1-21Billions of dollars Federal Reserve Flow of Funds Accounts Z.1 Release June 8, 2006
F.106 Federal Government Lines 22-52Billions of dollars Federal Reserve Flow of Funds Accounts Z.1 Release June 8, 2006
What has been Accomplished • Teplin et al., “Integrated Macroeconomic Accounts for the United States: Draft SNA-USA”(2005) documents the past efforts in this project and lays out the future direction • Estimates are prepared for the draft SNA-USA structure for the period 1985 – 2002 • Prospects are clear for improving the integration of the FFAs with the NIPAs and for bringing them closer into alignment with international standards • Progress on this project is described in a forthcoming article in the Survey of Current Business • Starting in late September, the two agencies will begin a regular, annual publication of the integrated estimates
FCC Spectrum Auctions • Efforts are underway to develop estimates for the electromagnetic spectrum • Estimates are needed for the Federal non-produced non-financial assets and for corporate sector balance sheets • A priority is to measure correctly receipts from spectrum auctions
Where We Go from Here • Improve estimates of changes in balance sheets that arise from sources other than transactions • Continue to investigate data sources and methods or concepts for real estate values in some sectors • Reconcile remaining differences between the current and accumulation accounts and the international transactions accounts • Improve alignment of U.S estimates with international standards
Questions • How important a problem is the quarterly volatility in the NIPA - FFA discrepancy? • Is it more important, in this project, to address statistical problems first, and then methods and concepts or vice versa?