While the appearance of debit and credit cards is similar, the attributes have significant differences, particularly when it comes to account overdrafts. This does not suggest that credit cards are somehow superior products, as complaints abound concerning credit card fees. Nevertheless,...

There is growing presumption that central banks have a significant role to play in addressing environmental challenges, especially climate change. This article explains, on the basis of both theoretical and empirical evidence, that attempting to use existing central bank powers to tackle climate...

The 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act increased the powers of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System along almost all dimensions pertaining to the supervision and operation of systemically important financial institutions. With Ben S. Bernanke's term as...

In the course of their growth and their more recent crisis, cryptocurrencies suffered from tremendous volatility. Volatility impaired cryptocurrencies' ability to serve the needs generally associated with currencies, i.e. serve as a store of value as well as a medium of exchange and a unit of...

Private entities have recently attempted to invade the realm of central banking activities. This Article identifies this activity as “Shadow Central Banking,” and draws analogies with the previous emergence of “shadow banking” more generally. The “shadow banking” system emerged as a...

Immediately after the outbreak of the current pandemic crisis, the EU developed a (rather) consistent strategy, by taking measures in order to deal with health emergency needs, support economic activity and employment, preserve monetary and financial stability and prepare the ground for...

From its inception, the Federal Reserve has operated payment systems that let banks move money for their customers. Checks, wire transfers, and electronic consumer payments all happen thanks to the Federal Reserve. Congress by statute specified which banks get access to the Fed’s payment...

For the largest 55 German banks, we detect the presence of countercyclical yield seeking in the form of acquisition of high-yielding periphery bonds in the period from Q1 2008 to Q2 2011. This investment strategy is pursued by banks not subject to a bailout, banks characterised by high...

These four lectures on central banking topics were presented in London between September and December 2013. The lectures were delivered as part of Arthur Grimes' NZ-UK Link Foundation Visiting Professorship, based at the University of London's School of Advanced Study. They followed his stepping...

For the largest 55 German banks, we detect the presence of countercyclical yield seeking in the form of acquisition of high-yielding periphery bonds in the period from Q1 2008 to Q2 2011. This investment strategy is pursued by banks not subject to a bailout, banks characterised by high...