United States
Policy mix has important implications for spillovers – Fed’s Brainard
Fed governor says degree of divergence between central banks and choice of policy tool affects the exchange rate impact and therefore spillovers
Fed would remove Wells Fargo board if ‘appropriate’, says Yellen
Fed chair asked why stricter penalties had not been imposed after bank opened millions of fake accounts; senator Warren says current system has created “bullet proof” executives
Yellen warns of debt impact on productivity
Fed chair states in “strongest possible terms” that the current spending by the US government is unsustainable and could harm productivity
Deregulation aided women entering US labour force – paper
ECB paper finds efforts to open up the credit market from the 1970s to 90s helped reduce the gender gap in the labour force
Brainard cautious over further hikes in interest rates
Fed governor says she will be watching inflation “carefully” over the coming months, stating the unwinding of the balance sheet will begin ”soon”
Randal Quarles nominated to Fed’s top supervision role
Donald Trump’s pick for vice-chair of supervision viewed as a moderate figure, but critical of Dodd-Frank Act
Bullard raises concerns about east coast dominance of the Fed
St Louis Fed president is not worried about the major shake-up of the board of governors; points to reducing the influence of the New York Fed on the FOMC
St Louis’s Bullard on the future of the Fed and its monetary policy record
St Louis Fed president James Bullard rails against east coast dominance, favours aspects of the Choice Act and says Fed monetary policy was a “factor” that fuelled crisis
People: Fed appoints general counsel; new department heads at Riksbank
Fed appoints former supervision and regulation head to general counsel; new heads of monetary policy and financial stability for Riksbank; and more
US policy having a larger impact on credit – BIS paper
Monetary policy’s effects on credit and housing markets have grown while the effects on inflation have weakened, paper finds
Inflation data causes rift in FOMC
Fed officials discuss whether incoming low inflation data is “transitory” or is a sign of worrying things to come; minutes outline balance sheet unwinding but date remains unknown
Big data sheds light on income risk – Minneapolis Fed research
Better sources of data have allowed economists to gain new insights into how income risk changes over the cycle, says researcher
Basel Committee flags shortfalls in implementation
European Union is yet to fully comply with the liquidity coverage ratio, while many jurisdictions are lagging behind in other areas
IMF paper backs issuance of central bank digital currencies
Fund finds large benefits to issuing own digital currency in terms of cost savings and efficiency gains, but issues around distribution remain
Fixing the ‘perverse incentives’ in the SLR
Richard Heckinger warns the US’s supplementary leverage ratio in its current form discourages banks from using central counterparties
Bond sell-off slows as markets digest central bank comments
Upbeat comments from ECB and BoE chiefs trigger brief tantrum, but bond markets now appear to be settling down
People: Fed appoints new CFO; Mishra returns to IMF after stint at RBI
Fed chooses Ricardo Aguilera as new CFO; Prachi Mishra returns to the IMF; Bank of Russia appoints new head of resolution department
Survey data can help with modelling expectations – BoJ paper
Discussion paper outlines method of incorporating survey data as a proxy for expectations, with “promising” results for inflation modelling in the US and Japan
Fischer cautions against complacency
Fed vice-chairman says it would be “foolish” for policymakers to think they have eliminated all risk; there are still areas where supervisors have “limited insight”, says Fischer
Yellen urges caution on regulatory adjustments
Janet Yellen and Mark Carney say the US could adjust its banking regulations without undermining global standards; Basel’s Coen stresses need for co-operation
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
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
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
Asset purchase programme is key to central bank credibility – ECB paper
Researchers analyse market reactions to unconventional monetary policy decisions