Financial Stability
Europe’s ‘bloated’ banking system could be harming growth, says ESRB committee
Report by advisers to European Systemic Risk Board says the banking system is ‘overweight’ and prescribes a number of remedies, including securitisation of SME loans
Balkanisation a ‘real threat' to globalised banking, says PRA head Bailey
Bank of England deputy governor and head of the Prudential Regulation Authority warns that essential global financial services are under threat, in Directory of Financial Regulators 2014 foreword
Ingves: Swedes should be forced to amortise mortgages
Riksbank governor slams Swedish 'culture' whereby 40% of households ‘do not amortise at all'; average debt-to-income ratio for mortgaged households is 313%
Riksbank sees improvement in interbank rate framework
A detailed examination of the 'Stockholm interbank offered rate' framework was launched in 2011 after several shortcomings were revealed
ECB concerned by growing search for yield
European Central Bank review warns the financial system has become more vulnerable to an ‘abrupt reversal of risk premiums’ in the wake of a growing search for yield
Carstens leads Sintra scepticism over macro-pru policies
Bank of Mexico governor Agustin Carstens says macro-prudential instruments were of ‘limited use’ in his country, while Lagarde points to other issues across the globe
Mark Carney criticises 'radical belief' in capitalism
BoE governor says 'lost sense of moderation' has eroded social capital, but that central bank's financial reform efforts is a start towards more inclusive capitalism
Brazil fails to realise Latam financial stability grouping
South American regional initiative to co-operate on financial stability appears to have gone nowhere since it was announced by Brazil in March this year
Targeting financial stability would compromise central bank independence, Lagarde says
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde says adding a financial stability objective to central bank mandates would be incompatible with their continued independence
Menon: Monetary policy can't fill ‘all the cracks'
MAS managing director says monetary policy cannot ensure financial stability alone, as vulnerabilities tend to concentrate in specific sectors
ECB plans to charge banks $355 million supervisory fee
The European Central Bank will charge eurozone banks an annual fee for supervising them; early figures suggest the 130 or so significant banks will foot 85% of the bill
SSM results could come out early if severe weaknesses are found
Sabine Lautenschläger said today the results of the ECB's assessment of eurozone banks' health could be released early in the case of ‘severe weaknesses'
Danish faster payments system sees limited uptake
Danish central bank annual report on payments systems finds disappointing uptake of an offer to settle customer payments faster; says CPSS/Iosco compliance should be ensured
'Normal environment' still far off, says Flug
Israeli governor says country's modern central bank law 'internalises global crisis lessons' and includes support for financial stability in mandate
Hungarian central bank says solution must be found to FX household debt crisis
Financial stability report says situation can only be resolved by a definitive move that will apply equally to performing and non-performing debtors
Target2 values drop by €150 trillion as ECB changes statistical methodology
European Central Bank excludes overnight deposits from data sample; values processed by Target2 drop from €643 trillion in 2012 to €493 trillion in 2013 as a result
Euro Retail Payments Board sets out work plan in wake of Sepa migration
The board creates two working groups in its first meeting; one on post-migration issues, the other on finding Europe-wide solutions for securing electronic mandates for direct debits
Romania governor backs banking union as ‘substitute' for fiscal union
National Bank of Romania governor is prepared to take his country into the single currency despite the lack of a fiscal union without which monetary union 'cannot function properly'
PBoC favours London as offshore RMB hub, says leading Chinese banker
The Chinese government and central bank 'think very highly' of London, says top Chinese banker who predicts the City will play a key role in renminbi internationalisation
EC tackling final questions on CCP resolution
The European Commission is drawing up proposals on the recovery and resolution of CCPs, but a number of tricky questions still have to be answered
MMA governor: Maldives has 'unprecedented opportunity' to put economy in order
Azeema Adam says the Maldives Monetary Authority is reviewing regulations in a bid to unburden country's financial sector
Islamic investors must expand out of real estate, says Bahraini central banker
Abdul Rahman Al Baker says it is critical for Islamic financial institutions to better understand clients' needs
Central Bank of Kuwait puts own building on new banknote
Banknote series unveiled yesterday will come into circulation on June 29; new features include raised print to help blind people tell which note they are holding