Financial Stability
Approval of policy changes to Fed cash services
The Federal Reserve Board on Friday 17 March announced the approval of policy changes that seek to reduce the overuse of Federal Reserve Bank cash-processing services by providing incentives for depository institutions to recirculate currency among their…
Riksbank to form cash management advisory board
The Executive Board of Sweden's Riksbank decided at its most recent meeting to establish a cash management advisory board consisting of representatives from the cash management field.
Financial Stability Forum concludes meeting
The Financial Stability Forum (FSF) held its fourth Asia-Pacific regional meeting on Thursday 16 March in Sydney, Australia.
Liquidity provision in a model of payments
The Federal Reserve Working Paper "Alternative central bank credit policies for liquidity provision in a model of payments" explores alternative central bank policies for liquidity provision in a model of payments.
RBA's Lowe on the payments system
In the speech 'The evolution and regulation of the payments system' given on 14 March Philip Lowe of the Reserve Bank of Australia said the global shift towards electronic payments was being driven by advances in technology and the lower cost of…
Preliminary report on security of banknote storage
Sir John Gieve, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, on Friday 10 March delivered to Mervyn King, the Governor, his confidential preliminary report on the security of banknote storage.
Illiquidity in the interbank payment system
The March 2006 New York Fed Staff Report "Illiquidity in the interbank payment system following wide-scale disruptions" shows how the interbank payment system can become illiquid following wide-scale disruptions.
Comment: Measuring financial fragility
Central banks and regulators have created well-staffed financial stability departments, producing voluminous reports and reviews. However, policymakers are not always sure what they are aiming at in this opaque, but systemically important, area. New…
Riksbank to introduce new, more secure banknotes
On 15 March, Sweden's Riksbank will introduce new, more secure 50-krona and 1,000-krona banknotes.
ECB publication of an enhanced 'Blue Book'
The European Central Bank on Monday 6 March published a statistical addendum to the publication "Payment and securities settlement systems in the European Union and in the acceding countries" (known as the "Blue Book") incorporating 2004 data.
Renminbi Settlement System goes live
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK) jointly announced on Thursday 2 March the launch of the new Renminbi Settlement System (RSS) on 6 March 2006.
ECB paper on the euro cash changeover
The ECB Working Paper "Rational inattention, inflation developments and perceptions after the euro cash changeover" uses the euro cash changeover to test theories of finite information-processing capacities on the side of consumers.
HKMA's Yam on the euro
In the speech 'The euro: Lessons for European and Asian financial markets' given on 24 February Joseph Yam of the HKMA said the integration of financial markets in the Asia-Pacific region can be accelerated if financial and monetary authorities in the…
NY Fed's Geithner on risk management challenges
In the speech 'Risk management challenges in the U.S. financial system' given on 28 February Timothy Geithner of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said complex securities like derivatives make the global financial system increasingly vulnerable, and…
BoE says payment covers all stolen notes
The Bank of England said on Friday 24 February that the £25 million payment made by Securitas on Wednesday covers all the stolen notes belonging to the central bank.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on the Lisbon Agenda
In the speech 'The Lisbon Agenda - what can banks contribute?' given on 23 February Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the creation of a single eurozone payments area will not just reduce banks' revenues but will also cut their costs.
Biggest UK robbery promps BoE security review
The Bank of England is to review security for banknote storage following Britain's biggest ever robbery at a cash centre in Kent that may have netted the thieves between £40-50 million.
Buba worried re cash supply after Heros insolvency
The Bundesbank has called on local branches to lengthen their operating hours after a money-transport company which accounts for around 50 per cent of the German money transport sector filed for insolvency.
Comment: Sepa progress report
In its fourth progress report on the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa) the ECB says it "expects the European Payments Council (EPC) to take overall responsibility for defining and implementing a monitoring framework for each phase of the migration process…
Towards a Single Euro Payments Area - 4th report
In its fourth progress report on the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), published Friday, the Governing Council of the ECB defined the final SEPA objectives.
New Zealand's new coins introduced on 31 July
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced on Monday 20 February that New Zealand's new 50, 20 and 10 cent coins will be introduced on 31 July 2006.
Bank of England Payment Systems Oversight Report
The Bank of England published its second Payment Systems Oversight Report on Friday. It contains the Bank's latest assessment of UK payment systems against the internationally-recognised Core Principles for Systemically Important Payment Systems.
Comment: Payment system risks
While few would regard Britain's large-value payment system as risky - over its ten-year life, the system has suffered no major scares - how the system will bear up in a crisis or time of market stress is a cause for concern.
Asia’s bonny bond markets
Asian central banks have been actively promoting domestic bond markets. Anthony Rowley reports.