G28 - Government Policy and Regulation

• On the Nexus of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability: Effectiveness of Macroprudential Tools in Building Resilience and Mitigating Financial Imbalances

  Staff discussion paper 2016-11 H. Evren Damar, Miguel Molico

  This paper reviews the Canadian and international evidence of the effectiveness of macroprudential policy measures in building resilience and mitigating financial imbalances. The analysis concludes that these measures have broadly achieved their goal of increasing the overall resilience of the financial system to the buildup of imbalances and increasing the financial system’s ability to withstand adverse shocks.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers JEL Code(s): E, E5, E51, E58, G, G1, G18, G2, G28 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Financial system regulation and oversight, Household and business credit

• Asset Encumbrance, Bank Funding and Financial Fragility

  Staff working paper 2016-16 Kartik Anand, Prasanna Gai, James Chapman, Toni Ahnert

  In this piece we show that a limit on the level of asset encumbrance and minimum capital requirements are effective tools for minimizing the incentive for banks to take excessive risk.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D8, D82, G, G0, G01, G2, G21, G28 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Financial stability and systemic risk, Financial system regulation and oversight

• Wait a Minute: The Efficacy of Discounting versus Non-Pecuniary Payment Steering

  Staff working paper 2016-8 Angelika Welte

  Merchants who accept credit cards face payment processing fees. In most countries, the no-surcharge rule prohibits them from using surcharges to pass these fees on to customers.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D1, D12, E, E5, E58, G, G2, G28 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market structure, Money and payments, Retail payments

• A Microfounded Design of Interconnectedness-Based Macroprudential Policy

  Staff working paper 2016-6 Jose Fique

  To address the challenges posed by global systemically important banks (G-SIBs), the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision recommended an “additional loss absorbency requirement” for these institutions. Along these lines, I develop a microfounded design of capital surcharges that target the interconnectedness component of systemic risk.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D8, D82, D85, G, G2, G21, G28 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Financial system regulation and oversight, Models and tools, Economic models
• December 15, 2015

  Residential Mortgage Securitization in Canada: A Review

  Financial System Review - December 2015 Adi Mordel

  Residential mortgage securitization plays an important role in the Canadian system of housing finance, especially given the rising share of government-supported (i.e., public) securitization over the past 15 years. Mordel and Stephens analyze the evolution of two types of mortgage securitization in Canada— private and public — focusing in particular on the underlying public policy and economic benefits of the latter. They review the potential implications of the extent of public securitization and conclude with a discussion of policies that could be considered to reinvigorate private securitization in Canada.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles JEL Code(s): G, G2, G28
• June 11, 2015

  Canadian Open-End Mutual Funds: An Assessment of Potential Vulnerabilities

  Financial System Review - June 2015 Sandra Ramirez, Jesus Sierra, Jonathan Witmer

  The authors examine the liquidity and leverage characteristics of Canadian long-term, open-end mutual funds in terms of their potential systemic effects on the Canadian mutual fund sector and on the Canadian financial system more broadly. In their overall assessment of this sector, they consider the regulation, market size and ownership structure of mutual funds in Canada and provide observations about the industry globally.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles JEL Code(s): G, G2, G23, G28
• May 14, 2015

  Improving the Foundation of Canada’s Payments System

  Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2015 Lana Embree, Paul Miller

  The Canadian payments environment has evolved with enhancements in technology, changes in user expectations and new regulatory standards. In response, the existing regulatory framework and core payments infrastructure are being enhanced. This article describes several revisions to the governance and regulation of the payments system as well as plans to update the core payments infrastructure. These initiatives will position the Canadian payments system to more effectively support a modern and vibrant economy by serving the payments needs of Canadians safely and efficiently as the payments industry continues to evolve.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles JEL Code(s): E, E4, E42, G, G2, G28
• December 10, 2014

  Cyber Security: Protecting the Resilience of Canada’s Financial System

  Financial System Review - December 2014 Harold Gallagher, Wade McMahon, Ron Morrow

  Harold Gallagher, Wade McMahon and Ron Morrow examine the various sources of cyber attacks and their potential for systemic risk. Against this background, the report highlights efforts being made to protect against cyber-security threats, including individual and collective actions by financial institutions and financial market infrastructures, as well as initiatives by international organizations, regulatory authorities and governments. The authors then describe the coordination, under the Joint Operational Resilience Management program, of private and public sector actions in Canada for managing and testing capabilities during severe operational events such as cyber attacks.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles JEL Code(s): G, G2, G20, G23, G28
• June 12, 2014

  Making Banks Safer: Implementing Basel III

  Financial System Review - June 2014 Éric Chouinard, Graydon Paulin

  Éric Chouinard and Graydon Paulin review the progress to date in implementing Basel III, the new framework of global regulatory standards for the banking sector developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The report highlights the expected net benefits of implementing Basel III, as well as the challenges in ensuring international consistency in measuring the risk-weighted capital of banks. It includes a discussion on how implementing Basel III has affected the banking system in Canada and other important jurisdictions, and demonstrates the need for ongoing assessment of the effects on the financial system and the macroeconomy.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles JEL Code(s): G, G2, G28
• November 15, 2012

  The Changing Landscape for Retail Payments in Canada and the Implications for the Demand for Cash

  Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 2012 Carlos Arango, Kim Huynh, Ben Fung, Gerald Stuber

  Over the past 20 years, there has been a major shift away from the use of paper-based retail payment instruments, such as cash and cheques, toward electronic means of payment, such as debit cards and credit cards. Recent Bank of Canada research on consumers’ choice of payment instruments indicates that cash is frequently used for transactions with low values because of its speed, ease of use and wide acceptance, while debit and credit cards are more commonly used for transactions with higher values because of perceived attributes such as safety and record keeping. While innovations in retail payments currently being introduced into the Canadian marketplace could lead to a further reduction in the use of cash over the longer term, the implications for the use of cash of some of the structural and regulatory developments under way are less clear.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles JEL Code(s): C, C8, C83, E, E4, E42, G, G2, G28