The Chicago Fed’s 45th annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition, which took place May 6–8, 2009, brought together industry personnel, regulators, and academics to discuss the recent financial crisis and financial regulatory reform, among other issues.

The Chicago Fed’s 46th annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition, which took place May 5–7, 2010, focused on the future of the financial services industry in light of the recent financial crisis and forthcoming industry reforms.

Recently there have been a number of recommendations to increase the role of subordinated debt (SND) in satisfying bank capital requirements as a preferred means to discipline the risk-taking behavior of systemically important banks. One such proposal recommended using SND yield spreads as the...