Household and business lending has slowed sharply in recent years, but the anemic growth in loans booked at depository institutions, mortgage companies, and finance companies may overstate the decline in credit originated by these institutions. This article reports measures of credit growth that...

International financial transactions have grown in recent years far faster than has our ability to understand their significance for national economies. This article seeks to explain the rise in bank loans from banks outside the United States to U.S. businesses. The article looks at the...

Government securities holdings at U.S. commercial banks have risen rapidly since 1990. The author contrasts the recent rise with increases observed during and after earlier recessions and evaluates possible explanations for the buildup. In addition, he presents a rough estimate of the interest...

The authors review the supply and demand side developments that may have contributed to the recent decline in small time deposits and weak M2 growth. They also consider whether M2 should be redefined to exclude small time deposits in light of the recent difficulties in interpreting the...