The Central Bank of Chile was founded in 1925, to provide the country with an institution that could stabilize the currency, regulate interest and discount rates, and avoid disruptions in the country’s financial, industrial en economic development (Decree Law N°486, August 22nd, 1925). But a...

This paper presents a brief overview of the current state of financial development in Chile, comparing it with other countries. After providing a short summary of the most important financial reforms of past decades, we highlight the main strengths and weaknesses of Chile’s financial markets....

Starting in 1981, Chile went into a deep economic and financial crisis. The Chilean solution to the crisis was heterodox in the sense that many policies appear to have been arbitrary, and policy mistakes were made and corrected along the way. However, the economy recovered relatively quickly,...

Following the 1997-1998 financial turmoil, crisis countries in Asia moved toward either floating or fixed exchange rate systems, superficially consistent with the bipolar view of exchange rate regimes and the "hollow middle" hypothesis. But some observers have claimed that, despite the changes...

This paper summarizes new research on the relationship among institutions, financial development, economic growth, financial integration, and the likelihood of boom-bust cycles and banking crises. The first part of the paper reviews issues pertaining mainly to the banking sector, and summarizes...