Central Banks
Brazil slows pace of easing
The Central Bank of Brazil cut its key interest rate for the third time this year to a record low of 10.25% on Wednesday.
Central banks partly to blame: UK MPs
Though banks were ultimately culpable, central bank must acknowledge a share of the blame for the financial crisis, an influential group of British lawmakers has said.
ECB's Bini Smaghi: credit easing won't work for us
Unconventional policy measures that would best suit the euro area are likely to differ in terms of scope and depth from those in the United States or other advanced economies, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB)…
Roubini praises Geithner
Nouriel Roubini, the economist most often identified as having predicted the crash, has complimented Tim Geithner for his performance as the United States treasury secretary and as head of the New York Federal Reserve.
Canada's mortgage market imperfectly competitive
Canada's residential mortgage market is imperfectly competitive, a paper published by the country's central bank posits.
Basel II won't ward off systemic threat
Risk-based capital regulation is inadequate for protecting the financial system as a whole, research published by the Dallas Federal Reserve reveals.
NZ to keep rate at record low until end of 2010
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand followed the Bank of Canada's lead on Thursday and said it was likely to keep its benchmark rate at or below its current record low of 2.5% until the second half of 2010.
BIS stats highlight extent of capital flight
Data posted from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) on Wednesday provided fresh evidence for the doom-mongers on central and eastern Europe, and went some way to explaining recent movements in exchange rates.
SA expected to continue easing after 100bps
The South African Reserve Bank acted in line with market expectations on Thursday by cutting 100 basis points off its main rate - a move which it is now forecast to repeat in May after the governor signalled the economy was in recession.
Trichet says shush on possible new tools
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has said that the Governing Council's omerta on interest rates a week before meetings must be extended to include possible additional tools that may be announced next Thursday.
Research puts a price on systemic threat
Research from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) estimates that the cost of insuring against steep losses at major American banks had increased to up to $250 billion as of July 2008.
Turkey on target to meet price goals
The Central Bank of Turkey believes it is on course to meet its inflation targets for the next three years.
Rate pledge already benefiting us: Canada's Carney
Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, has said that the central bank's unprecedented promise to hold rates at record lows until at least June 2010 was already having a positive effect on credit conditions in Canada.
Fed stress tests may reveal need for more capital
Shares in Citi and Bank of America, two of the United States's biggest banks, were hit on Tuesday after reports emerged that the Federal Reserve would require them to hold more capital as a result of the central bank's stress tests.
More transparency on Maiden Lane
The New York Federal Reserve on Wednesday disclosed further details of the assets held as collateral for the central bank's loans to Bear Stearns, a now-defunct investment bank, and American International Group (AIG), a beleaguered insurer.
Banks right to lend cautiously: BoE's Barker
The British government's strategy of encouraging British banks to lend received a setback on Wednesday after Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), said that she could understand their reluctance to lend.
Trichet emphasises lack of confidence
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, has claimed the role of policymakers in this stage of the crisis is to restore confidence.
A new model for inflation targeting
This International Monetary Fund paper presents a new model of inflation targeting, taking greater account of the importance of changes in the credibility of policymakers.
House prices impacted by monetary policy
A working paper from Norges Bank finds that house prices are linked to monetary-policy shocks in the Norwegian, Swedish and British economies.
Iceland's Oddsson says he did spot flaws
David Oddsson, the former governor of the Central Bank of Iceland who presided over the country's financial meltdown, has said he did warn of the dangers posed by the country's over-reliance on the banking sector.
FDIC's Bair condemns too big to fail
The idea of banks being too big to fail should be consigned to history, Sheila Bair, the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the American regulator, has said.
Global imbalances and petrodollars
Research published by the International Monetary Fund explores oil exporters' role in our understanding and the resolution of global imbalances.
BoE's Haldane on lessons from natural disasters
There is much to be learnt on dealing with financial crises from natural disasters, Andrew Haldane, the executive director for financial stability at the Bank of England, has noted.
Research notes three trends in currency crises
Research published by the Bank of England on the role of external balance-sheet variables as determinants of currency crises has three key findings.