Recent studies suggest liquidity regulation contributed to the rise in excess reserves, but capital regulations may matter, too. We use a simple model to show that banks may tilt portfolios away from higher risk-weighted assets like loans and toward lower risk-weighted assets like reserves and...

In November 2001, bank regulators finalized the so-called Recourse Rule, which lowered risk weights from 1 to 0.5 for A-rated and to 0.2 for AAA- and AA-rated private-label securitization tranches. After the rule change, on average, securitization-active bank holding companies with at least $50...

In November 2001, regulators finalized the “Recourse Rule.” The rule lowered risk weights, and therefore commercial bank holding company capital requirements, to 0.2 for holdings of AAA- and AA-rated “private label” securitization tranches, created by investment banks and securitizing...

Common explanations for the observed rise in excess bank reserves include payment of interest on reserves and liquidity regulations, but capital regulations may also matter. We show that a profit maximizing bank substitutes from higher risk-weight loans to lower risk-weight reserves and...