Opinion
Fed turnover creates challenges
According to this article published by USA Today on Monday 12 February, Ben Bernanke faces new challenges at the Federal Reserve with the departure of key officials.
BoC sees room to improve central bank committees
This article from Reuters, published Monday 12 February, looks at the recent paper "Monetary Policy Committees in Action: Is There Room for Improvement?" noting that central banks have shifted away from the "dictatorial" governor as decision maker, in…
Bernanke in a democratic lion's den
According to this article from Dow Jones, published Tuesday 13 February, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will hope not to become a snack this week when he walks into a Democratic lion's den.
Gono hits bull's eye
This article from the Financial Gazette, published Thursday 8 February, says the heated debate rages on after Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono refused to budge an inch on devaluation.
When larger reserves may not really be good
According to this article from the New Straits Times, published Friday 9 February, questions the idea that foreign exchange reserves are a key indicator of macroeconomic strength.
Nightmares of a central banker
According to this article published by the Ludwig von Mises Institute on Tuesday 6 February, the record of modern central banking is bleak, with monetary policy failing again and again.
ECB seeks to preserve its independence
This article from the Associated Press, published Tuesday 6 February, looks at the debate over whether countries that use the euro should have an influence on its decision-making process.
China factors will be key in 2007 gold market
According to this article from Interfax-China, published Friday 2 February, Chinese factors are likely to have an increasing influence on the gold price this year with the possibility that the People's Bank of China will increase gold reserves.
The RBI's Jekyll and Hyde act
This article from The Economic Times, published Monday 5 February, asks why the Reserve Bank of India's latest monetary policy review reads like a thriller but pulls up short at the last minute.
China aims to spend $200bn of reserves
This article from the Asia Times, published Saturday 3 February, looks at the idea that China's Ministry of Finance plans to issue yuan-denominated bonds to 'buy out' as much as $200 billion from the country's massive foreign reserves.
Report recommends limited IMF gold sales
The report by the Committee of Eminent Persons released has recommended that the Fund sell 400 tonnes of its 3,217 tonnes of gold to finance an endowment fund.
Interview with SWIFT's Campos
In this recent interview with The Asian Banker, Lazaro Campos, head of the banking industry division at SWIFT says that SWIFT will become part of the domestic securities world before it picks up in payments.
Fed has yet to set target on inflation
According to this article from The New York Times, published Tuesday 30 January, as Ben Bernanke celebrates his first anniversary as Fed chairman, the US central bank is still far away from acting on his major proposal.
Europe's uneven growth challenge
According to this article on the Project Syndicate website, growth has become less evenly balanced throughout the eurozone with the resurgence in German growth.
The Bank of Japan's big mistake
According to this article by Stephen Roach, published on Friday 26 January by Money Week, the Bank of Japan has dealt a stunning blow to central bank independence.
ECB won't tolerate being a political football
According to this article from Reuters, published Wednesday 24 January, the European Central Bank has mounted its strongest defence so far against recent attacks on its independence from politicians.
Moskow sets retirement, leaving fourth Fed opening
This article published Monday 22 January by Bloomberg notes that Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago president Michael Moskow's departure will leave a fourth high-level opening at the central bank.
Why Oman pulled out of the single currency
According to this article from Gulf News, published Sunday 21 January, unique economic challenges mean that recent talk that the GCC monetary union is not necessarily possible could be right.
Why did the Bank of Japan freeze interest rates?
According to this article published by MoneyWeek on Monday 22 January, the Bank of Japan's decision last week to hold interest rates steady has unleashed a storm relating to its independence from political pressure.
Zimbabwe: Yet another challenging year for Gono
According to this recent article from the Financial Gazette, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono's turnaround efforts are likely to be gambled on short-term succession politics.
Europe's club of nations needs a rule change
According to this article by Zdenik Tma, governor of the Czech National Bank, first published by the Financial Times on 4 January, ERM-2 rules might have been perfectly legitimate in the past, but today they are outdated and -counter-productive.
Theater of the absurd surrounds BOJ's decision
According to this article from Bloomberg, published Wednesday 17 January, the Bank of Japan may be about to lose even more of the credibility is has worked to restore.
Kozlov's murder - the real story
Financing hundreds of thousands of illegal under-the-table deals requires huge sums of money. Every month, in Russia mountains of "black cash", are exchanged illegally behind the scenes. As long as this parallel system of financial settlement exists,…