Opinion
How history will judge Fukui
Fukui's term at the helm of the Bank of Japan should be seen as a success but the departing governor failed to fulfil his early promise, says Colin Asher, a senior economist at Nomura, an investment bank.
The EU's approach to SWFs is commendable
The EU Commission's proposal for sovereign wealth fund policies are to be welcomed, says Norbert Walter, the chief economist of Deutsche Bank Group. And it is in the interests of the funds themselves to support this course.
The BIS must become the global central bank
Last year's attempts at central bank coordination fell short, says Krzysztof Rybinski, a former deputy governor at the National Bank of Poland. A global forum is needed.
Obituaries: Terry Smeeton
Terence Smeeton, born 5 July 1942, died 12 September 2007.
Obituaries: Stephen Frowen
Professor Stephen F. Frowen, born 22 May 1923, died 21 December 2007.
Noyer's lonely moment
Robert Pringle, the editor of Central Banking journal, speculates on what kind of questions went through the mind of Christian Noyer, governor of the Banque de France, when he first learned of the Societe Generale disaster.
Fed faces uncertain times and difficult decisions
Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosenberg professor of global finance at the Brandeis International Business School, discusses why the outlook for the United States economy is so hard to call and if the Federal Reserve was right to cut rates.
Banks must be scolded, not helped, by the Fed
Monetary and regulatory policy should be about reinforcing solid conduct in financial markets and punishing bad behaviour. But the recent rate cut from the Fed does little of the sort, says Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence Capital, a…
Should rate policy note Wall Street's influence?
Reflecting on the Federal Reserve's recent decisions, Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosenberg professor of global finance at the Brandeis International Business School, asks whether it is wise to separate actions to ensure financial stability from those to aid…
SWFs investment in banks: an alarming trend?
In the wake of the credit crunch banks' capital cushions have deflated dangerously. And, in response, some have turned to one group of investors untouched by subprime credit or by mark-to-market reporting requirements: sovereign wealth funds (SWFs)…
Regulators can't ensure clarity, only encourage it
In the wake of the credit crisis, central bankers and other financial regulators should use their clout to back the standardisation of financial instruments rather than trying to legislate for transparency, says Claire Jones, the editor of Central Bank…
The blame game
The decision of many central banks, most notably the Federal Reserve, to lower rates in the wake of the dotcom crash, has drawn criticism from some quarters post-credit crunch. But, Claire Jones, editor of Central Bank News, argues blame for the crisis…
Cooperation can't get to root cause of crunch
The central banks' coordinated attempt to bring interbank rates down may alleviate liquidity pressures, but not the mistrust the lies at the core of the crunch, says Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence Capital, a financial advisory firm.
Rock raises lender of last resort issue for EU
One important aspect of the Northern Rock crisis in the UK has been to make market participants wonder what would happen if a similar-sized institution got into difficulties in a small or medium-sized EU member state.
There's a riot goin' on
By analysing so-called "riot points", we can see that the current crisis is spreading and deepening, says Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence Capital, a financial advisory firm.
What we learn from the Fed's projections
As we look at the first of the Federal Reserve's enhanced economic projections, it is important to understand what they are and what they are not, says Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosenberg Professor of Global Finance at Brandeis International Business School.
The trip to transparency
The Fed's decision to increase the frequency and volume of its economic projections is another welcome step towards transparency under Ben Bernanke's stewardship. But it still has a way to go before catching up to the other major central banks, says…
A troubling lesson of Northern Rock
The Northern Rock crisis has revealed a fundamental change in the nature of bank runs, says Robert Pringle, the editor of Central Banking journal.
Mervyn King and Northern Rock
The question of Mervyn King's reappointment as governor of the Bank of England has become inextricably linked to the saga of Northern Rock, says Robert Pringle, the editor of Central Banking journal.
Central banks: the gorillas of foreign exchange
Chris Turner, the head of foreign exchange strategy research at ING wholesale banking in London, evaluates the possibility of sterilisation by central banks next year
Colombia will benefit from free trade with US
Juan Mauricio Ramirez, a vice president of the Private Council of Competitiveness and a former head of the inflation and macroeconomic programming department at the Banco de la Republica, takes issue with Joseph Stiglitz's views on the proposed Free…
The only way is down
Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence Capital, a financial advisory firm, predicts the dollar will drop to $1.70 against the euro and $2.20 against sterling before central banks intervene.