Central Banks
FDIC’s Hoenig on restoring the structural integrity of banks
Commercial banks and payment operations should be ring-fenced within bank holding companies as insured entities with 10% equity. Then, market forces – rather than burdensome regulation – could determine capital for other activities
BIS urges policymakers to exploit ‘window of opportunity’
Financial cycles are getting close to turning in many economies and central banks and governments must make sure they are prepared, the BIS warns in its 2017 annual report
ECB announces instant payment settlement scheme for 2018
“Tips” will be based on existing Target-2 system
BoJ’s Iwata says expectations likely to shift as inflation returns
Deputy governor cites Milton Friedman in arguing that people will become more forward-looking when their wages are eroded by inflation
RBI minutes: ‘abrupt’ retreat of inflation calls for caution
MPC members express surprise at swift retreat of food prices, though they warn against setting policy by looking in the “rearview mirror”
ECB requests powers to regulate CCPs
Brexit heightens concern over importance of central counterparties
Biggest US banks weather severe stress test
Fed report on stress tests applied to 34 bank holding companies indicates largest institutions would remain well capitalised even in a severe shock
BoE’s Forbes points to bias among overworked MPC members
Senior Bank of England officials are overworked and heavily scrutinised, which may make it harder for them to take tough decisions, Kristin Forbes says in her final speech as an MPC member
Malaysian government escalates investigation on historic forex losses
Commission will investigate heavy forex losses by the Malaysian central bank in the early 1990s, after task force finds evidence information was concealed
Book notes: Can We Avoid Another Financial Crisis?, by Steve Keen
Steve Keen challenges “mainstream” economic thinking in this concise book, hoping to shift the political debate on debt
Bank of Canada prepares to open redesigned museum
Museum set to reopen in July after “complete reimagining”, including interactive exhibits on the central bank’s mandate, inflation-based games and a two-tonne “Yap stone”
Fed’s Powell looks for ways to reduce ‘unnecessary burden’ of regulation
Fed governor tells senators he sees room in some aspects of post-crisis reforms to ease the burden on banks, though he stresses the need for “vigilance” against new risks
PSPP’s effects became significant after expansion – Irish paper
Paper examines responses of Ireland-domiciled investment funds
Recovery increasingly resilient; inflation predictions down – ECB
GDP forecasts revised up and ECB says recovery is “broadening”, but inflation projections revised down
UK payments regulator unveils competition reforms
Reforms aim to open up UK payments infrastructure to competition, and include move to common messaging standards
Asset purchase programme is key to central bank credibility – ECB paper
Researchers analyse market reactions to unconventional monetary policy decisions
BIS paper links debt service lag to impact on real economy
Authors find the lag between borrowing and peak debt service helps explain why debt booms reduce future output and increase the probability of a crisis