Financial Stability
UK Banking Commission urges higher leverage ratio
Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards says 3% leverage ratio prescribed by Basel III and planned UK rules is insufficient for banks; also advocates power to impose full separation of banking sector
IMF paper advocates hybrid discretion and rules-based macro-prudential policy
Researchers say discretionary systems can be gamed but rules struggle to properly account for risk; combination of ‘strong baseline’ and time-varying component gives best results
RBA targeted by cyber attacks
Reserve Bank of Australia reveals it has been the victim of cyber crime; consults with government intelligence agencies over appropriate defence strategies
New York Fed demands better management of foreign exchange risks
Greater use of capital and collateral to mitigate all risks relating to foreign exchange trading is crucial, warns Jeanmarie Davis, head of financial market infrastructure at the NY Fed
Fed stress tests reveal potential for losses of $460 billion
Stress tests show banks would suffer heavy losses if another financial crisis hits, with some hovering very close to the US Federal Reserve’s minimum core capital requirements – and one falling below
ECB researcher views liquidity shocks through enhanced DGE lens
Model aims to more accurately capture equity premia, finding that this amplifies liquidity shocks and explains a ‘significant fraction’ of business cycle fluctuations
Bank of Portugal distances itself from anti-trust investigation
Portuguese central bank says investigation into banks' anti-competitive practices will not undermine the stability of the financial sector
De Larosière slams US protectionism and EU Solvency II rules
Former IMF and Banque de France chief Jacques de Larosière says the introduction of a swathe of new regulations in Europe – by contrast to the US – may jeopardise the continent’s growth
IMF report calls for more powers for Bank of Spain
Progress report finds Spain has implemented 'the bulk' of required financial sector reforms, but suggests greater independence and powers for the central bank
MAS pushes for tighter rules on financial advisers
Monetary Authority of Singapore expands and elaborates on report recommending tighter rules for financial advisers; calls for higher qualifications, more capital and greater efficiency
Top US regulators restless over too-big-to-fail
Fed’s Jerome Powell and FDIC’s Martin Gruenberg stress the need for ongoing progress in bid to eliminate ‘too-big-to-fail’ problem
ECB lauds 2012 as year of ‘great achievement' for T2S programme
Annual report details progress in 2012 including 22 participating clearing houses and new governance and legal frameworks, though one deadline has already been missed
New Zealand central bank publishes macro-prudential ‘tool-kit' consultation
Four new tools proposed by Reserve Bank of New Zealand; former RBNZ chief economist says implementation will take time, but anticipates an ‘announcement effect'
Dutch paper suggests using loan-to-deposit ratio in macroprudential policy
Study says LTD ratio could be a useful tool for regulator to address liquidity risk; suggests counter-cyclical policy to encourage lending in tough times
BIS paper urges inclusion of financial cycle in output gap calculation
Working paper warns ignoring the financial cycle when calculating the output gap can cause policy-makers to overlook unsustainable output movements
Deutsche Bundesbank’s losing struggle in European integration battle
The Deutsche Bundesbank was once the cornerstone of European monetary stability but has become little more than a bargaining chip for politicians negotiating European integration.
Booknotes: Europe's Unfinished Currency
Mayer has grasped the essential truth about Europe’s single currency – that the project not only has an economic context but also an historical one and, above all, a political one.
Booknotes: The Ponzi Scheme Puzzle: A History and Analysis of Con Artists and Victims
Tamar Frankel offers us a colourful and broad picture of con artists who have initiated their own ‘Ponzi schemes’.
Central Bank of Ireland economist says monetary policy will not save euro
Lars Frisell suggests loosening monetary policy in the eurozone is unlikely to have much effect on the distressed periphery; instead advocates risk sharing through common deposit guarantees
National Bank of Slovakia backs controversial law
Slovakian central bank supports draft law to prohibit foreign bank branches from offering mortgage loans; questions over legality of law under EU treaty
The trade-off between bank regulation and economic growth
The pendulum has swung firmly in favour of financial services regulatory reform. But economic growth is likely to suffer – particularly in Europe – unless some of the rules are changed
Bretton Woods transcripts reveal global discord that still resonates today
In the first of three articles, Andrew Rosenberg discusses the issues that arose at the 1944 conference that continue to echo down through the years.
Collateral problems in the euro area
The euro area sovereign debt crisis has caused remarkable growth in the operations of the Eurosystem. It also led to diminished collateral availability.
Draghi delivers sermon on trust
European Central Bank president says trust is the key to mutual support, stronger collective responsibility and a deeper economic and political union