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Forces shaping payments markets - report
The August letter from the Chicago Fed summarises the major findings from a recent conference on changes in payments systems.
Papademos - challenges for Europe' economy
Speaking at Delphi, the vice-president of the European Central Bank, spelled out his views on what Europe's policymakers should have on their "to do list".
ECB calls for new debit card schemes
The European Central Bank (ECB) would like to see the emergence of new debit card schemes to rival the dominance of Maestro.
Brash enters Kiwi fracas
Don Brash, the former governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, has entered the ongoing debate about the relations between the central bank and the ministry of finance.
Further rate rise in China
The People's Bank of China has raised its key benchmark bank lending and deposit rates by 27 basis points. It was the third rate hike of the year in the booming economy.
Gono questions Mugabe's fuel plan
Zimbabwe central bank governor, Gideon Gono, has warned the government of Robert Mugabe, the country's president, that its plan to ban private fuel purchases in foreign currency could provide a further drag on the world's fastest shrinking economy.
New FSA chief sounds warning call
The new chief executive of the British Financial Services Authority, Hector Sants, has warned that banks and financial institutions may not have done enough to protect themselves and their investors against the impending market downturn.
Interim board for new Qatari watchdog by December
Qatar's finance ministry will appoint an interim board to manage the proposed single financial sector regulator by December this year.
BoE's Besley: rates should move higher, faster
Raising rates sooner will help bring inflation back to target faster, explained Timothy Besley, an external member of the Bank of England's rate-setting MPC, at a seminar organised by the CEPR in London.
Reserve Bank of Fiji - annual report 2006
The central bank's key economic challenge for 2007, says the governor, Savenaca Narube, is to reverse the widening trade deficit.
Draghi testifies to parliament
Stronger economic growth has meant a smaller fiscal deficit, noted the governor of the Bank of Italy, Mario Draghi, but Italy's structural deficit remains substantial.
Fed's minutes for June meeting
The Federal Open Market committee's predominant policy concern remained the risk that inflation would fail to moderate as expected, the minutes to the July meeting explained.
Rate tightening agreed by Polish cb in June
At its most recent meeting, Poland's central bank agreed that rate tightening in the future was necessary, although the bank's policymakers were split over when a move should occur.
FSA urged to take on retail banking regulation
John Tiner, who leaves the UK's Financial Services Authority (FSA) today after four years as chief executive, told an annual meeting that the oversight of retail banking should be consolidated, as the reasons that had led to a separate code were no…
Turkey's reserves hit record high
The Turkish central bank announced on Thursday that its foreign currency reserves had reached a new record level of $118bn on July 6.
Brazil makes 17th consecutive rate cut
Brazil's central bank made its 17th consecutive cut in the overnight lending rate on July 18, as inflation continued to be kept in check by the strong exchange rate.
Why Europe needs a banking charter
The authors of this IMF Working Paper argue that a full-fledged EU-level prudential regime that operates along-side national regimes - which they call a "European Banking Charter" - could harness market forces to establish a level playing field for…
Analysing hedge fund credit risk
This New York Fed Staff Report argues that the characteristics of hedge funds makes the use of counterparty credit risk management (CCRM) methodologies more difficult as they exacerbate market failures linked to agency problems, externalities, and moral…
Fed's Plosser on housing and monetary policy
The recent reversal of the boom in housing activity and house prices in the United States has contributed to a slowdown in economic growth, says Charles Plosser, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, in this speech. But, he argues,…
Portfolio credit risk in central banks
This report presents the findings of a task force, established in early 2006 and consisting of nine Eurosystem central banks to analyse and discuss the use of portfolio credit risk methodologies by central banks.
Fed's Monetary Policy Report to Congress
The Fed's seminannual report to the American congress, which was released at the start of chairman, Ben Bernanke's testimony on 18 July, paints a rosy picture of the outlook for the world's largest economy.
German confidence takes a dip
A survey of investors published yesterday by the ZEW Institute in Mannheim suggested that Germany's recovery might falter as the country feels the effect of higher interest rates, nervous financial markets and a stronger euro.
Thai rates cut with one eye on baht
Thailand's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate, the one-day bond repurchase rate, to 3.25% from 3.5% today, the fifth consecutive cut this year. Suchada Kirakul, the assistant governor, told reporters after the rate decision that the cut "will…
Japanese policymakers fear US housing problems
Minutes of the June 14-15 meeting of the Bank of Japan's policy board, published today, show that some board members have concerns about the persistence of housing problems in the United States, which may point to difficulties in making future rate rises.