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Abstract
In this article, we review recent developments in macroeconomics and finance on the relationship between financial risk and the real economy. We focus on three specific topics: (a) the term structure of uncertainty, (b) time variation—specifically, the long-term decline—in the variance risk premium, and (c) time variation in conditional skewness. We also introduce two new data series: implied volatility from one-day options on grains for the period 1906–1936 and prices of cliquet options, which provide insurance against single-day crashes on the S&P 500. Both series give some context to the recent rise in trade in extremely short-dated options. Finally, we discuss new avenues for future research.