Financial Stability
ECB paper finds cost of macro-prudential policies may outweigh benefits
Working paper finds macro-prudential policies can be effective in deflating asset bubbles, but warns the cost of doing so may be higher than the benefit
BoE markets head warns of collateral balancing act
Andrew Hauser says repo markets must be ‘prudentially sound’ but remain ‘sufficiently deep and liquid’; warns against an ‘excessive’ central bank presence
People: Poloz names special advisor; BoE appoints insurance specialist to PRA
Bank of Canada appoints senior advisor to the governor; UK's Prudential Regulation Authority names final independent director; payments systems Bacs and Chaps appoint new chairmen
Swedish deputy says monetary policy must remain as tool for dealing with financial imbalances
Per Jansson says macro-prudential policies will only complement, and not replace, the Riksbank’s use of its benchmark interest rate to lean against financial imbalances
Omani central bank releases first financial stability report
Reveals the creation of an independent financial stability unit responsible for implementing macro-prudential policies; calls for a new macro-financial model and improved data collection
Parliament launches inquiry into independence of Bank of England’s FPC
Law-makers raise questions over independence of Financial Policy Committee; concerned by Osborne’s recent changes to its membership and remit
Ukraine caps cash use in bid to boost e-payments
National Bank of Ukraine hopes to deliver a wide range of benefits by imposing limits on the size of cash payments
ECB issues draft regulation on systemically important payment systems
Central bank seeks comment on draft regulations implementing CPSS-Iosco Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures, for systemically important payments systems in the eurozone
BoE chief cashier looks forward to further innovations in the use of cash
Chris Salmon, chief cashier and executive director for banking services at the Bank of England, says ‘local recycling' of cash in ATMs poses questions over authentication
Lithuanian governor says banking union does not require treaty change
As Lithuania gears up to take over the EU rotating presidency, central bank governor Vasiliauskas is confident of reaching a compromise on banking union within the existing legal framework
Bundesbank research studies how weak resolution rules impact growth
Discussion paper employs ‘catharsis indicator’ to show that stronger resolution regimes reward good firms and help to allocate credit effectively, boosting growth
IMF paper explores link between low interest rates and bank risk-taking
Working paper finds banks take more risks in low short-term interest rate environment; more so if they are well capitalised
Subbarao criticises plans to expand powers of regulatory supergroup
Reserve Bank of India governor Duvvuri Subbarao speaks out against plans to give Financial Stability and Development Council responsibility for regulating systemic risk
Fed’s Raskin warns of shortcomings in leverage ratio
Sarah Bloom Raskin says a leverage ratio can guard against the failings of risk-weighted capital requirements, but cautions that the ratio has issues of its own
IMF paper says direct eurozone spillovers limited to US and UK banks
Working paper analyses effects of eurozone crisis at bank level; finds direct impact limited to UK and US though other regions could be susceptible to knock-on effects
Financial exclusion in Europe driven by move away from cash, study finds
New report from Brussels-based pressure group finds financial exclusion is a growing phenomenon as cash falls out of favour for everyday transactions
Bank of England annual report redefines financial stability
BoE annual report reveals change in interpretation of financial stability; central bank must maintain ‘efficient flow of funds' in the economy and ‘confidence in financial intermediaries'
Riksbank predicts ‘elimination’ of retail payments competition
Sweden’s retail payments market is expanding but Sveriges Riksbank says larger players will prevail and smaller companies ‘will be eliminated’
RBA research analyses factors driving US credit crunch
Working paper finds shutdown of the securitisation market explains a ‘significant share’ of the credit tightening in the US in the run-up to the global financial crisis
Fischer gives high marks to Bernanke and Draghi
Outgoing Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer believes the world owes a great debt to Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and praises ECB president Mario Draghi; says Israel can live with side effects of QE
Bank of Israel’s outgoing chief, Stanley Fischer, on the challenges of central banking
Stanley Fischer believes his work as governor of the Bank of Israel is done. He tells Chris Jeffery about the reform process in Israel as well as the challenges facing the world economy and the IMF
Colombian paper draws policy lessons from credit- and business-cycle links
Researchers find lagged response of growth to the credit cycle, making it challenging for policy-makers to target both financial and real variables with a single instrument
Croatian governor cautious over banking union
Boris Vujčić says Croatia will adopt the euro "as soon as possible" after it joins the European Union next month; raises concerns over banking union and ECB’s lack of supervisory experience
Fischer urges peace in the Middle East
Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer tells state finance committee to find ‘partners for peace’; endorses high defence spending in state budget