Regulation
Obama picks SEC head and Fed governor
Barack Obama, the US president-elect, has named Mary Schapiro, the chief executive of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), as the new head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The president-elect also appointed Daniel Tarullo,…
IMF needs to step up surveillance: Italy's DG
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) should significantly step up international surveillance, said Fabrizio Saccomanni, the director general of the Bank of Italy.
Cameron talks tough on bankers
David Cameron, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party in Britain, has talked tough on going after "irresponsible" City bankers.
Hildebrand calls for restrictions on leverage
Philipp Hildebrand, the vice-chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), said excess leverage was the main cause of financial fragility and the current global banking crisis, and called for restrictions on leverage ratios.
Coordinating prudential supervision
This IMF paper argues that Europe need closer coordination between its prudential supervision and financial safety nets.
Ireland announces €10bn bank bailout
The government of Ireland pledged up to €10bn for recapitalising ailing banks in a bid to encourage lending and limit the damage on the real economy.
Fingers pointed at SEC in Madoff affair
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a leading American regulator, is under fire for failing to spot alleged investment fraud by Bernard Madoff.
Supervisory colleges to take lead - ECB's Trichet
Colleges of supervisors should become the main supervisory interface for banking groups in Europe, said Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank.
How to unblock the credit markets
Cutting interest rates is increasingly ineffective. Central banks need to create market-making windows, argues Ronald McKinnon
Three essential questions for reforming finance
Barack Obama should appoint a commission to investigate what went wrong and guard against quick fixes, says Eugene White
Shell shocked: American finance in crisis
A legislative overhaul is coming. Robert Litan says a renewed focus on market discipline and the consolidation of regulatory authority are the priorities
Spain's Ordoez hails early warners
Miguel Fernandez Ordoez, the governor of the Bank of Spain, paid tribute to the insights of two economists who warned against the dangers of excessive leverage and argued for counter cyclical capital rules.
Bernanke urges action on mortgages
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has called for an acceleration of efforts to stem a rising tide of home foreclosures.
Watchdog raps TARP management
A congressional watchdog has found the US Treasury wanting on a number of issues related to management and oversight of the $700 billion bailout plan known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
Islamic finance and insurance tie-up
The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) signed a working agreement aiming at establishing a sound regulatory and supervisory framework for the Islamic insurance industry.
Ex-Bank director to lead offshore review
Michael Foot, a former executive director for supervision at the Bank of England, is to head a review of British offshore financial centres.
Egypt aims for Basel II adoption, ECB to assist
The Central Bank of Egypt took a step towards compliance with Basel II after agreeing to European Central Bank (ECB) support to strengthen its supervisory framework.
IMF's chief economist on the tasks ahead
Olivier Blanchard, the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has made public a detailed policy proposal issued to the heads of the G20 before their summit in Washington, DC earlier this month.
Rules must match lenience of lending: Fed's Lacker
A critical policy challenge in the aftermath of the credit crisis will be to re-establish the boundaries of central bank lending, said Jeffrey Lacker, the president of the Richmond Federal Reserve.
Governors to sit on UN regulatory reform panel
The governors of the Malaysian and Nigerian central banks and a former head of the Reserve Bank of India will form part of a UN task force to look into reform of the global financial system.
FSF and IMF agree differentiation of roles
The Financial Stability Forum (FSF) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two of the most prominent multilateral organisations, have moved to clarify their respective roles to prevent a tussle for greater regulatory power.
Basel's Wellink outlines vision for Basel II
Nout Wellink, the chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and president of the Netherlands Bank, on Monday detailed the committee's plans to improve its much-maligned Basel II framework.