Central Banks
Housing plan may not lift prices says BoE's Barker
A plan by the UK government to help up to 100,000 Britons buy their own homes may not push up house prices as the government is committed to increasing supply, Bank of England policymaker Kate Barker said on Tuesday 24 May.
Fed's Moskow promotes personal accounts
Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Michael Moskow said on Monday he favours the idea of "some kind of personal accounts" as a method of addressing the long-term funding issues facing Social Security.
Riksbank seeing weaker than expected economy
A deputy governor of Sweden's Riksbank, Kristina Persson, said Tuesday 24 May the central bank is seeing signs of somewhat weaker economic activity than it had previously expected.
OECD says US rates to rise, ECB must cut
U.S. interest rates will need to rise further to keep inflation pressures in check but the growth outlook for other major world economies is precarious and the euro zone needs a rapid rate cut, the OECD said on Tuesday 24 May in its semi-annual Economic…
Memorandum of understanding on financial crises
The banking supervisory authorities, the central banks and the Finance Ministries of the European Union (EU) have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation in financial crisis situations, 18 May.
Sweden's Nyberg on the Riksbank & inflation target
In the speech 'The Riksbank and the inflation target' given on 19 May Lars Nyberg of the Sveriges Riksbank said it is important to monitor whether the slackening tendencies seen in economic activity recently are temporary or more persistent.
Fed's Greenspan on energy
In the speech 'Energy' given on 20 May Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said a modest easing in oil demand in response to higher prices should keep inventories rising in the U.S. and elsewhere for some months.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Apr 2005
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for April 2005 was +0.10, up from -0.04 in March. Two of the four broad categories of indicators that comprise the index-employment and consumption and housing-made positive contributions.
Kosovo to establish a central bank
Economy and Finance Minister Haki Shatri told KosovaLive website that UNMIK (UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) and the government finally have agreed that Banking and Payment Authority of Kosova will become the Central Bank of Kosova.
Iraq central bank plans payment transfer system
Iraq's central bank plans to implement a new interbank payment system that will revolutionize the country's inefficient banking system by the end of this year, Governor Sinan al-Shabibi said in an interview Friday 20 May.
Lacker says Fed may offer too many bank services
Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said on Friday 20 May it was "hard to justify" the level of services the Fed provides for banks, particularly for clearing retail payments, such as check clearing.
Trichet sees many euro members breaking pact rules
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday 23 May many euro zone governments look set to return deficits above the stability and growth pact's limit of 3 pct of GDP this year.
Issing: Govts must deal with growth differentials
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said in a speech Friday 20 May euro zone growth differentials must be dealt with by national economic policies rather than by the ECB's interest rate policy.
Obituary: John Page 1923-2005
Elizabeth Hennessy looks back on the career of John Page, whose influence as chief cashier at the Bank ran throughout the City.
Central bankers’ cosy retreat
For 75 years the BIS has played a central and sometimes controversial role in bringing central banks together. Harold James reviews a new history of the bank.
The costs of capital inadequacy
Blair Baker reports on why Costa Rica’s central bank cannot afford to lower inflation.
Managing financial research in central banks
All central banks need to motivate and retain top-notch researchers. Philipp Hartmann and Myron Kwast describe how the ECB and the Federal Reserve do it.
Lookouts for financial instability
Can a central bank’s dealers help with market surveillance? Tim Young and John Nugée point to some of the difficulties and possible remedies.
Central banks feel the pinch
A falling dollar and low yields on traditional assets have hit balance sheets hard. Central Banking reports.
How central banks manage their finance
Robert Sleeper analyses the growing risks on central banks’ balance sheets, and asks: should they hold more capital?
Who holds the wealth of nations?
The growth of sovereign wealth funds, often managed outside central banks, has received little attention or analysis. Yet it is a major development in international finance, with implications for central banks writes Andrew Rozanov.
The pact’s last stand
Political tensions have been contained by the deal on deficits, but at what cost to Europe’s fiscal regime and its single currency? William Clarke reports from Brussels.
Dangerous drift in international money
The international monetary situation is being allowed to drift dangerously as the leading countries neglect the risks and ignore calls for reform. Robert Pringle reports from Beijing.