Banks
Competition lowers bank-market spreads on loans
Banks price their loans more in line with the market interest rate in countries with stronger loan market competition, says a new paper from the Bank of Spain.
Eurosystem continues to shed staff
The number of central bankers in the 16 national central banks that now make up the Eurosystem stands at 46,123, a fall of 17.9% since 2003, reveals the 2009 edition of Central Banking Publications' Central Bank Directory.
Crisis calls for revision of LOLR role: economists
Central banks must broaden their remit as lenders of last resort in the wake of the crisis, two economists who advise central banks have said.
Assets are better kept with SWFs
Countries with a large foreign asset base tend to establish sovereign wealth funds as central banks' portfolio diversification tends is limited, says a new paper from the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
ECB to keep one-governor, one-vote system for now
The European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council has gone back on the voting structure set out in its statute and opted to keep its one-governor, one-vote regime until the number of eurosystem central banks exceeds 18. The central bank also said that…
Danish governor on forthcoming funds
The National Bank of Denmark will operate a new temporary facility from early next year to supplement Danish banks with financing capital, said Nils Bernstein, the governor of the central bank.
Openness and clarity - Sweden's Rosenberg reflects
Openness and clarity are of central importance to policy effectiveness, said Irma Rosenberg, the first deputy governor of the Riksbank.
Bulgarian National Bank - Annual Report 2007
The latest Annual Report from the Bulgarian National Bank highlights the central bank's entry to the European System of Central Banks, a group composed of the European Central Bank and the 27 national central banks of all EU members.
FDIC surveys bank overdraft programmes
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has gathered data on the types, characteristics, and use of overdraft programmes operated by the1,171 banks supervised by the deposit insurance regulator.
India to lend FX until July to counter stress
The Reserve Bank of India has agreed to support the overseas operations of its banks by providing three-month foreign-currency loans until next July.
We'll make the banks lend: King
Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, on Tuesday indicated that the British authorities would take drastic action if banks continued to curtail lending.
Denmark's Thomsen on the rise in debt issuance
Higher debt issuance from sovereign issuers is to be expected, Jens Thomsen, a member of the board of governors of the National Bank of Denmark, has said.
Incentives needed for e-payment transition
Consumers and merchants need incentives to move from paper-based to electronic payment instruments, said Jan Qvigstad, the deputy governor of Norges Bank.
EU regulators must work together: Swedish deputy
Barbro Wickman-Parak, a deputy director at the Riksbank, has said that the European Union (EU) organisations for supervision and crisis management need to be better coordinated.
RBI may need to cut again: former governor
Bimal Jalan, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has said the institution could have to cut rates again so that banks can lower borrowing costs to a level businesses and the public can afford.
People's Bank pledges Rmb100 billion by year-end
The People's Bank of China will loan banks Rmb100 billion ($14.6 billion) by the end of December as part of Beijing's efforts to stave off a slowdown in growth.
Eurozone banks clamp down on gloomy outlook
Eurozone banks are applying ever more-stringent conditions on the region's borrowers on fears of a worsening of economic activity.
Real and financial sector linked - Fed's Warsh
The US economy will recover sooner than expected if banks are willing to find new ways of lending, said Kevin Warsh, a governor at the Federal Reserve.
Inflation targets flexible and resilient
Inflation targeting has proved fairly flexible and resilient, research from the Boston Federal Reserve states.
Banks' social role key to new rules: ex-FSA head
The revision of the social contract between banks and government should be central to the debate about how to legislate against future crises, Britain's former chief regulator has said.
Fed extends swaps to emerging markets, cuts to 1%
The Brazilian, Mexican, Korean and Singapore central banks on Wednesday became the latest to set up swap arrangements with the Federal Reserve to counter dollar liquidity fears.
Fed examines poverty
The Federal Reserve Board and the 12 regional banks have collaborated on a study looking at high-poverty neighbourhoods in the US and the challenges these communities face.
Processing speed key to bank liquidity
Payments processing speed is a significant factor in explaining the liquidity holdings of banks throughout the day, finds a new paper by the Bank of Canada.
Korea's Lee urges caution
Central banks need to be cautious in coping with price pressures as financial markets are very unstable and their future direction is unclear, said Seongtae Lee, the governor of the Bank of Korea.