Risk-weighting – how to fake up resilience in a banking system

Published on 6th April 2023.

The underlying article was published by IREF Europe on 5th April 2023.

Introduction

How resilient is the global banking system? Are banks’ capital buffers now much larger than they were going into the Global Financial Crisis of 2007/8, as authorities claim?

The buffers – called ‘Common Equity Tier 1’ (or CET1), ‘Tier 1 Capital’, […]

Bank Resolution is dead: authorities dare not use it – and instead risk destroying capital markets

Published on 1st April 2023.

The underlying article was published by IREF Europe on 29th March 2023.

The template created after the Global Financial Crisis of 2007/8 to shield taxpayers from direct bailouts of failed banks has already folded – authorities dare not use it.

The template is to put failed banks into ‘resolution’, with retail and small […]

YouGov surveys commissioned for ‘Britcoin’ Digital Pound project

Published on 9th March 2023

We have analysed the two YouGov surveys issued by the Bank of England and HM Treasury in connection with the public consultation on ‘Britcoin’: the plans for a UK Central Bank Digital Currency.

There is one survey for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, and one for Consumers.

They both consistently over-egg the current take-up […]

Open letter to Project Financial Crime c/o The Payments Association

Published on 2nd February 2023

Fintech has been lionized by the government and financial authorities as a dynamic new sector of the UK economy, bringing new offerings and competition: next stop is cryptocurrency, the enabling legislation for which is going through Parliament.

The sector is ostensibly very concerned about financial crime, and its main trade body – […]