This Is An Inter-yen-tion

This Is An Inter-yen-tion

Many of us know the chain of events set in motion, when you tell a toddler in very specific terms what they should NOT do. Sometimes financial markets act in the same way. In this year’s yen episodes, the grown-up is the Japanese top foreign-exchange official, Masato...
Conscious Uncoupling

Conscious Uncoupling

Yes, I am that old.* Sometimes, when a group of big economies have been through some tough times together, but then find they are recovering at different speeds, they might have to start lowering their interest rates before the biggest one is ready. That doesn’t mean...
I Will Be Your Predictor

I Will Be Your Predictor

The Risk Report is always excited to dive into news details that validate what it already believes to be true. And if it can be combined with topical lyrics from Queen Bey, it is even better. So, remember the yield curve? The one by all measures has been inverted for...
The Tortured Homeowners Department

The Tortured Homeowners Department

It is widely felt and reported that housing costs have entered the painful range. Especially more recent home buyers (with less equity built up) and those in areas prone to extreme weather events are struggling, because they are being hit thrice or even quince...
Diss Tracks—Bank Edition

Diss Tracks—Bank Edition

We all know how it started. Last summer Team Regulator slammed Team Bank hard with a proposal that among other stingers would mean an almost 20% increase—AKA $150bn—in the core capital requirement for Club G-SIB. A G-SIB is a Global Systemically Important Bank. The...
Even Non-Banks Get the Runs

Even Non-Banks Get the Runs

We at The Risk Report have been exploring entities that by all accounts (haha!) act like banks but aren’t. This week Forbes and a few others highlighted that while these companies largely are exempt from regulation, and market that as an upside, they are also very...