Overly Restrictive

Overly Restrictive

Parents of young adults might be familiar with this dilemma: there are certain ways you don’t want your kids to get in trouble, so you can either outright ban the behavior with a very high likelihood the young’uns are going to do it anyway but (try to) keep it from...
The End of the BINO

The End of the BINO

Can a financial institution call itself a bank without having a banking license, that is, be a Bank In Name Only (BINO)? Recently, the central bank of Brazil announced that using the word bank in the name requires permission and the fulfillment of particular capital...
A Harbinger of Risk to Come

A Harbinger of Risk to Come

There is no doubt that international bank regulation is one of the most action-packed topics there is, easily beating out stamp collecting and certainly on par with crocheting toilet doilies. The grand institution of the trade is, of course, the Basel Committee on...
Regretful Readiness

Regretful Readiness

The Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) just released its Annual Risk Outlook. The outlook lists the top risks faced by the Canadian financial system and the actions OSFI is taking in response. Words like geopolitical turbulence and...
European Banks: Less Rizz*, More Value

European Banks: Less Rizz*, More Value

The banks of Europe—including the UK (no offense!)—are doing great. A few weeks ago, the FT commented that measured by the 47 banks included in the European Stoxx 600 index, the total return and net dividends have outperformed the top US tech stocks known as the...