This paper provides detailed information on banking structure, permissible banking activities, regulatory structure, deposit insurance schemes, and supervisory practices in each of the 15 European Union countries, as well as in Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. Comparisons...

Banks have long relied on a number of funding sources, including equity capital, non-brokered and brokered deposits, and other liabilities, to make various types of loans and investments. And for almost as long, bank regulatory authorities have imposed various restrictions and costs on those...

After two decades of extreme turbulence in banking and financial markets around the world, it is reasonable to ask about the current status of banking regulation and supervision. Our unique starting point for answering that question comes from the fact that 20 years ago we developed the first...

Payday lenders are not everyone's favorite firms. Many individuals consider the typical 300 to 400 percent interest rate that they charge typically on a $300 two-week loan outrageously high. Many assert that payday lenders are engaging in predatory lending because relatively low-income and...

Ten states and the District of Columbia prohibit the operation of payday loan stores, and thirty-one other states have imposed regulatory restraints on the controversial industry, ranging, for example, from caps on fees and loan amounts to the number of rollovers and renewals a borrower may...