Central Banking
Italian paper finds government spending multipliers less than 1 at ZLB
The multiplier can go above 1 only when monetary policy is held constant for at least five years - but can still be reduced by elevated sovereign risk, researchers find
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
RBA economists examine effects of price shock on ‘endogenous reserves'
When a small open economy depends on non-renewable resources to a large degree, the effects of a shock to the prices of those resources are amplified, paper finds
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
Russian interbank market lacks discipline, Bofit paper finds
Investigation into levels of market discipline in the Russian interbank market finds some discipline was present during the financial crisis, but even then it was insufficient to curb risk-taking
Interest rates best transmit South African monetary policy, say researchers
New Sarb paper analyses five transmission channels for a monetary policy shock, finding interest rates to be the strongest, and asset prices the weakest
Bank of Thailand MPC insists rising inflation is ‘not immediate threat’
Minutes from November meeting show the committee voted to cut rates for the second time in six months despite one member’s concerns that inflation could continue to pick up in 2014
Pakistan deputy wants new data protection laws for payments
Ashraf Mahmood Wathra welcomes the ‘innovative banking practices’ driving financial inclusion but says data protection must keep pace
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
Bank of Canada warns over lingering economic vulnerabilities
The global economy looks more robust than it did when the Bank of Canada published its last Financial System Review six months ago, but risks remain
RBI's Joshi on the bank's wide-ranging strategies to raise financial awareness
RBI executive director says strategy is to raise financial literacy through initiatives like outreach visits and financial literacy centres, but also through 'comic books, plays and skits'
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
Chicago Fed paper aims to explain asset fluctuations through ‘unified' model
Framework draws on two theories of the role of credit in asset price fluctuations; study is first step in larger project
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
New Zealand bond yields are determined globally, paper finds
Global factors are the dominant determinant of New Zealand 10-year bond yields, but shorter term borrowing depends much more on local factors, according to a new working paper
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
OTC derivatives turnover driven by 'non-dealer' contracts, says BIS
Article in latest BIS quarterly review notes share of inter-dealer trades shrunk to 35% in 2013; trading remains concentrated in major financial centres despite 'rapid' growth in EM currencies
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
UK can escape ‘liquidity trap', Carney says
Mark Carney tells New York audience the Bank of England's joint responsibility for monetary and financial policy allows it to stimulate the economy while avoiding unbalanced growth