This SDN takes stock of the current debate on the capital regulation of banks. The focus will be on the level of capital (other aspects such as contingent capital and the quality of capital have been covered in previous SDNs). It analyzes the pros and cons of higher capital requirements, and will conduct analyses to support the case for higher capital requirements, while highlighting areas where more work is needed to get more granular policy advice.

This note outlines the basic economics of the shadow banking system, highlights (systemic) risks related to it, and suggests implications for measurement and regulatory approaches.

The proposed SDN documents the evolution of bank size and activities over the past 20 years. It discusses whether this evolution can be explained by economies of scale or too big to fail subsidies. The paper then presents evidence on the extent to which bank size and market-based activities contribute to systemic risk. The paper concludes with policy messages in the area of capital regulation and activity restrictions to reduce the systemic risk posed by large banks. The analysis of the ...

This note overviews macroprudential policy options that have been proposed to address the systemic risks experienced during the recent financial crisis. It contributes to the policy debate by providing a taxonomy of macroprudential policies in terms of the specific negative externalities in the financial system that these policies are meant to address, and discusses their interrelations and some key implementation issues.

Retirement is one of the most decisive financial and personal decisions people make. Leaving a career for the unknown is risky, and timing is an issue in the decision of when to access registered savings. To help make sense of the confusing business of retirement, financial journalist Andrew Allentuck explains how to navigate Old Age Security, Canada and Quebec Pension Plans, Registered Retirement Savings Plans, tax-efficient investments, and more to build wealth for retirement.

Walter Bagehot's Lombard Street, published in 1873 in the wake of a devastating London bank collapse, explained in clear and straightforward terms why central banks must serve as the lender of last resort to ensure liquidity in a faltering credit system. Bagehot's book set down the principles that helped define the role of modern central banks, particularly in times of crisis--but the recent global financial meltdown has posed unforeseen challenges. The New Lombard Street...

Expert contributors examine the recent actions of the Federal Reserve and suggest directions for the Fed going forward by drawing on past political, historical, and market principles. They explain how the Fed arrived at its current position, offer ideas on how to exit the situation, and propose new market-based reforms that can help keep the Fed on the road to good monetary policy in the future.

This book aims to provide a thoroughly updated overview and evaluation of the industrial organization of banking. It examines the interplay among bank behaviour, market structure, and regulation from the perspective of a variety of public policy issues, including bank competition and risk, market discipline, antitrust issues, and capital regulation. New to this edition are discussions of the economic foundations of international banking, macroprudential regulation, and international coordi...

This book happens to be the authors treatise on inflation and his thesis on Inflation Targeting. The book discusses the remedies for inflation in general and inflation targeting in particular.

Straight Talk and solid retirement advice for all CanadiansIn the face of government changes, financial market volatility, and an aging workforce, Canadians are understandably concerned about the impact on their finances and their future retirement. This reassuring book debunks the generally-accepted claims about necessary savings rates, which can cause paranoia among those beginning to contemplate retirement. The authors offer greater insight into planning approac...

The Global Financial Stability Report (GSFR), published twice a year by the IMF, provides timely analysis of developments in mature and emerging market countries and seeks to identify potential fault lines in the global financial system that could lead to crisis. The GFSR aims to deepen its readers’ understanding of global capital flows, which play a critical role as an engine of world economic growth. Along with the IMF’s semiannual World Economic Outlook, the GFSR is a key vehicle for the I...