This paper analyzes the consequences of alternative financial structures for financial efficiency and stability. The focus is on the organizational structure of banks. Alternative bank structures range from 'narrow banks' to broad 'universal banks.' Each banking structure is assessed in its...

This book discusses the issues associated with the capriciousness of capital flows into Latin America, examining macroeconomic and financial sector impact, as well as offering policy recommendations for achieving stability despite volatile capital flows. The authors review recent experience with...

This report is the second of two volumes which together constitute the Inter-American Development Bank's 2011 Annual Report. This report contains the management's discussion and analysis of the Bank's ordinary capital and financial statements.

This paper considers ongoing and proposed reforms of the international financial system in light of Latin America's recent experience. Most proposals are based on one of three diagnoses: excessive capital flows, insufficient capital flows, and excessively volatile capital flows. While theories...

This paper presents a retrospective review of several key areas of work of the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Division (CMF) of the Inter-American Development Bank. Presented with each chapter as an independent piece, the paper analyzes the operations portfolio of CMF from 2006 to...

The importance of having in place a financial regulatory framework that includes macro-prudential regulations was fully recognized during the recent global financial crisis. A central lesson from that episode was that relying on regulations that solely assessed the risks that financial...