News
EU bail-in to start two years early after Parliament and Council reach agreement
Bail-in rules, expected only from January 2018, will now enter force in January 2016; public bail-outs remain on the table as a last resort
Draghi says sovereign debt risk weights are a question for Basel Committee
Mario Draghi says it is up to the Basel Committee to assign different risk weights on sovereign debt ‘at the proper time’ and seeks to appease politicians' concerns over SME credit
India's counter-cyclical buffer proposals a 'tax on banks'
Government-linked think-tank claims India's counter-cyclical buffer focuses too narrowly on banks, and fails to address real issues in the country's finance system
Federal agencies finalise Volcker rule exceptions
The Federal Reserve, FDIC and other agencies agree on a final version of the Volcker rule to ban proprietary trading and investment fund activities, but with a series of exemptions
HKMA launches ‘hassle-free’ electronics payments platform
Hong Kong Monetary Authority says the platform will enable the general public to receive, manage and schedule electronic payments in three different currencies through one portal
IMF's Viñals says ESM should backstop ECB's comprehensive assessment
José Viñals says the European Stability Mechanism should be made available as a public backstop for the ECB’s forthcoming comprehensive assessment
Central Bank of Russia picks official rouble symbol
The Russian currency will now have an official symbol after an open design competition came down to a public vote between five designs
Basel Committee gives Brazilian capital standards the nod in new report
Standards are deemed overall compliant with Basel III, report published today concludes; Central Bank of Brazil's approach to market risk considered ‘more prudent' than the Basel standardised version
Lagarde calls for pre-emptive action on eurozone deflation
IMF managing director says the ECB should act to shore up eurozone inflation and find ways of getting credit to SMEs; Draghi says ECB must pursue price stability by all means necessary
Dealers losing exclusive role in foreign exchange, BIS report notes
A new analysis of the 'anatomy' of the forex market notes the increasing influence of non-dealer financial institutions, following this year's triennial survey
Fed presidents weigh in on QE as job numbers improve, debt ceiling showdown looms
Five of 12 regional Fed presidents have staked out their positions on bank's asset purchases in recent days as FOMC gears up for next meeting on December 17
RBA paves way for new entrants in card systems
Reserve Bank of Australia wants to facilitate new entrants into Australia’s credit and debit card systems; plans to let MasterCard and Visa set the eligibility criteria
Former Hungarian deputy says police investigation is the ‘craziest thing I have ever seen'
Júlia Király, who quit the Hungarian central bank this year after governor Andras Simor was replaced, says ongoing probe likely centres on her old department; warns over monetary stimulus
Fed launches online ‘gateway' to bank's history
New website features infographics, essays and biographies to mark the Fed's 100th birthday on December 23
Risky loans reach pre-crisis levels as banks are increasingly bypassed, warns BIS
Basel-based organisation also frets over impact on corporate bond markets from interest rate normalisation; cross-border lending falls in Q2 as non-banks play increasingly important role
National Bank of Belgium weighs reduction in one and two cent coins
Belgian central bank considers merits of allowing traders to round cash and electronic payments to the nearest five cents in a bid to render one and two cent coins ‘unnecessary’
MAS launches two-year technical assistance programme for neighbouring central banks
The Monetary Authority of Singapore will provide training activities and forums for 190 central bank officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam between now and 2015
Bank of Canada's Tiff Macklem quits half way through seven-year term
Senior deputy governor has been appointed dean of University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management; lost out to Stephen Poloz in race to succeed Mark Carney earlier this year
Reserve Bank of New Zealand looks to ramp up ‘alternative' communication
RBNZ doubles down on speeches and alternative media channels such as videos and infographics to cut through post-crisis ‘noise'; follows Riksbank's communication strategy overhaul earlier this week
People: FCA hires regulator from Irish central bank; NY Fed appoints new international head
Central Bank of Ireland loses another regulator, as Andy Coulson quits for UK's FCA; New York Fed replaces Checki as head of emerging markets and international affairs, with outside appointment
RBI consults on treatment of domestic systemically important banks
Reserve Bank of India releases proposals for identifying domestic systemically important banks and increasing their capital requirements; state-owned banks may need capital injections
Bolivian central bank under fire for lending to public enterprises
IMF tells CentralBanking.com the unorthodox practice is ‘counterproductive' and out of step with international norms; bank's constitutional mandate and lending arrangement makes loans legal
Norges Bank issues ‘secret' advice on prudential regulation
Norwegian finance ministry will publish central bank recommendations on countercyclical buffers only once it has decided whether or not to follow the advice; bank holds interest rates at 1.5%
China moves to block Bitcoin as digital currency gains credence
Bank of America analysts say Bitcoin could become a ‘serious competitor to traditional money', but the People's Bank of China warns it 'cannot and should not be used as currency'