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Banks' Accumulated Credit Losses in the First Quarter
The aggregate allowance for credit losses (ACL) at a set of large banks increased by 65 percent in the first quarter of 2020.1 The increase was due in approximately equal parts to two developments. First, the banks increased their ACL on January 1 to conform to a change in the method of estimating credit losses, from the incurred loss model to current expected credit loss (CECL). Second, the banks increased their ACL to cover an increase in expected credit losses. The magnitude of the ACL increase—commonly referred to as a "build"—at each bank depends on a variety of factors, but banks ...
Journal Article
Profits in `85: large banks gain while others continue to lag
Journal Article
Bank Supervisory Goals versus Monetary Policy Implementation
The global financial crisis of 2007–09 revealed substantial weaknesses in large banks' capital adequacy and liquidity. Bank regulators responded with a variety of prudential measures intended to strengthen both. However, these prudential measures resulted in conflicts with the implementation of monetary policy that helped alter the way the Federal Reserve conducts monetary policy. I review three such conflicts: regulation inhibiting interest on excess reserves arbitrage starting in 2008, regulation inhibiting banks' operations in the repo market in 2019, and regulation inhibiting their ...
Working Paper
Subordinated debt and prompt corrective regulatory action
Several recent studies have recommended greater reliance on subordinated debt as a tool to discipline bank risk taking. Some of these proposals recommend using subordinated debt yield spreads as additional triggers for supervisory discipline under prompt corrective action (PCA); action that is currently prompted by capital adequacy measures. This paper provides a theoretical model describing how use of a second market-measure of bank risk, in addition to the supervisors own internalized information, could improve bank discipline. We then empirically evaluate the implications of the model. The ...
Journal Article
Leverage ratios of U.S. non-financial corporations
Working Paper
Multiple safety net regulators and agency problems in the European Union: Is prompt corrective action partly the solution?
This paper discusses the institutional changes needed in Europe if prompt corrective action (PCA) is to be effective in supervising and resolving cross-border banking groups. The paper identifies these changes starting with enhancements in the availability of information on banking groups? financial condition to prudential supervisors. Next, the paper considers the collective decision making by prudential supervisors with authority to make discretionary decisions within the PCA framework as soon as a bank in a cross-border banking group falls below the minimum capital standard. Finally, the ...
Journal Article
Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's voluntary initiatives: Lessons from banking
The federal government has an interest in the financial stability of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because of their importance to financial markets and the government's implicit guarantee of their liabilities. ; In October 2000 these two housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) announced six voluntary initiatives. One initiative would enhance market discipline by having the GSEs issue subordinated debt. A second would boost liquidity by having the GSEs maintain a liquid securities portfolio. The other four initiatives would increase transparency by having the GSEs disclose their credit ...
Working Paper
Subordinated debt and prompt corrective regulatory action
Several recent studies have recommended greater reliance on subordinated debt as a tool to discipline bank risk taking. Some of these proposals recommend using subordinated debt yield spreads as additional triggers for supervisory discipline under prompt corrective action (PCA), action that is currently prompted by capital adequacy measures. This paper provides a theoretical model describing how use of a second market-measure of bank risk, in addition to the supervisors? own internalized information, could improve bank discipline. The authors then empirically evaluate the implications of the ...
Journal Article
Nonbank activities and risk