U.S. trade springs back

The evidence suggests that the combination of a slowdown in trade finance and inventory adjustments likely explain the recent trade dynamics.International trade ; Economic conditions - United States

A jump in consumer loans?

The dramatic increases [in consumer loans] over the past few months have been caused by a new reporting requirement issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.Consumers ; Loans

Commercial bank lending data during the crisis: handle with care

Caution is necessary when making inferences based solely on aggregate loans data.Financial crises ; Bank loans

The trade collapse: lining up the suspects

Don't blame trade restrictions this time. Instead, the three culprits are the credit crunch, the "compositional effect" and the trend away from making an entire product in one country.International trade

Banking crises around the world: different governments, different responses

Over the past 40 years, there have been more than 120 banking crises around the world. Different governments have responded in different ways. The gross and net costs as a percentage of GDP range wildly, anywhere from less than 1 percent to well beyond 30 percent.Financial crises ; Banks and banking, International