Financial Stability
HKMA counters rumours third-largest lender unsound
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Wednesday moved to placate fears that the Bank of East Asia, the territory's third-largest lender, is in trouble.
BoJ: money markets still edgy
Global money markets remained nervous in the first half of 2008, according to the newest financial markets report from the Bank of Japan.
More banks will fail if we don't act: Paulson
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Hank Paulson, the US Treasury secretary, have told lawmakers that a failure to rush through proposals for the purchase of up to $700 billion-worth of distressed assets would cripple the US economy.
Systemic banking crises - a new database
A paper from the International Monetary Fund presents a new database on the timing of systemic banking crises and policy responses to resolve them.
Kuwait on standby to inject funds - reports
The Central Bank of Kuwait has said it is ready to pump funds into the country's banking system, local media reported Tuesday.
Goldmans, MS abandon model, seek Fed shelter
And then there were none. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the last of the big five Wall Street investment banks, have abandoned their business model to secure greater Fed protection and soothe negative market sentiment.
UAE launches emergency facility
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates on Monday became the latest monetary institution to inject funds to alleviate interbank tensions, pledging Dh50 billion ($13.6 billion).
Sweden takes "precautionary" payments measure
The Riksbank has relaxed collateral rules for transactions through its RIX payments system as a precaution against money and bond market stress.
Denmark forced to back up second bank
The National Bank of Denmark has provided emergency liquidity to another of the country's banks, it emerged Monday.
Liquidity black holes
The current crisis has seen financial giants torpedoed by a lack of liquidity, which has rapidly transformed into questions over solvency. Conversations at SIBOS, the annual gathering of people in the business of liquidity delivery - payment system…
Central banks return to collective action
After a series of individual efforts aimed at resolving money market tensions, the world's major central banks resorted to collective action on Thursday, injecting as much as $180 billion (€124.75 billion) into interbank markets through various swaps and…
World Bank to "name and shame" remitters
The World Bank has launched an online database to "name and shame" providers of remittance services around the world.
Government still not at the SEPA table
European governments who fail to move on SEPA must be shamed into action, said Jean-Michel Godeffroy, the director general for payment systems at the European Central Bank.
China to be No.2 in payments
China could overtake the eurozone as the world's second biggest payments market early next decade, according to a new report.
Interview: Carlo Tresoldi
"Without intervention it will be difficult to meet the timescale of 2010 for migration to the new Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) instruments," Carlo Tresoldi told Centralbanknews.com on Tuesday.
Trends in large-value payments
New research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York identifies global trends in large-value payments.
Global factors have greater impact on EM inflows
The significance of global factors on the volatility of capital flows to emerging countries have increased in recent years relative to country-specific factors, a new paper from the Bank of Spain finds.
Tumpel-Gugerell on SEPA for cards
Once SEPA for credit transfers and direct debits are in place, the European Payments Council will devote its full energy on to a harmonised and integrated cards market, said Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, a member of the executive board of the European…
Triple shock leaves Wall Street in disarray
News of the Lehman Brothers' demise, the sale of Merrill Lynch and major concerns over the health of a range of other financial institutions has put the risk of rapid contagion and a systemic meltdown of the financial sector back at the top of central…
A mix of the old and new for central banks
While leading central banks around the world on Monday took similar steps to those seen in recent months to inject liquidity into fear-ridden money markets, the American authorities' response to the latest shocks signals a distinct shift in policy.
Banks step in with superfund
Ten of the world's biggest banks have joined forces to create a $70 billion liquidity fund intended to mitigate the impact of the latest round of financial turmoil.
Mistakes made on liquidity - Tumpel-Gugerell
The current crisis shows central bankers and regulators underestimated liquidity risk, admitted the European Central Bank's Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell.
Interdependence requires payment overhaul
Central banks need to adjust their oversight of payment and settlement systems to the new reality of heightened interdependence in financial markets, said Haruyuki Toyama, a deputy director general at the Bank of Japan at SIBOS, an industry forum…
We saw crunch looming, says Canada's Dodge
David Dodge, a former governor of the Bank of Canada, has said that central bankers knew that "ridiculous" mortgage-backed securities would precipitate a credit crunch.