Loan sales, implicit contracts, and bank structure

A documentation of some recent changes in the market for loan sales, using a tobit model to relate quantities of loans bought and sold to bank size, capital, risk, and funding mode.Bank loans

Credit spreads and subordinated debt

Stock and bond prices contain all sorts of information about investors’ beliefs and expectations. For example, the interest rate on bank debt not insured by the FDIC has information about the health of the banks issuing the debt. Unfortunately, difficulties in extracting information from these subordinated debt prices reduces the information’ usefulness to regulators and policymakers.Deposit insurance ; Bank capital

Umbrella supervision and the role of the central bank

Deregulation and financial consolidation have led to the development of financial holding companies—allowing commercial banking, insurance, investment banking, and other financial activities to be conducted under the same corporate umbrella—and the Federal Reserve has been named supervisor of the consolidated enterprise. This Policy Discussion Paper will show that there likely are economies of scope between the Fed’s inherent central-banking responsibilities and those of an umbrella supervisor and that these duel roles benefit both the Fed and functional regulators.Bank supervision ; Federal Reserve System

A conference on federal credit allocation

An overview of an October 1993 conference that examined the costs, causes, and consequences of credit allocation by the federal government, covering both the broad rationale for government intervention in U.S. credit markets and a number of specific programs and regulations.Credit

Large shareholders and market discipline in a regulated industry: a clinical study of Mellon Bank

An analysis of the 1987 change in control at Mellon, which was one of only a few banks with a large shareholder. It finds that the large shareholder did not monitor the firm extensively before it experienced performance difficulties, but was able to enforce a management change when problems arose without having to acquire a majority stake.Stockholders ; Mellon Bank

Umbrella supervision

Deregulation and financial consolidation have led to the development of financial holding companies—allowing commercial banking, insurance, investment banking, and other financial activities to be conducted under the same corporate umbrella—and the Federal Reserve has been named supervisor of the consolidated enterprise. This Commentary explains the increasing importance of an umbrella supervisor amid the sea of regulatory agencies, and why the Fed may be the best natural choice, both practically and conceptually, to assume the role.Bank supervision ; Federal Reserve System

The evolving loan sales market

An examination of the continuing strength of the loan sales market, documenting its growth during the latter half of the 1980s, its subsequent downturn in the early 1990s, the effect of merger and acquisition activity, and the impact of the 1990-91 recession, plus a discussion of how these issues relate to the rationales for federal deposit insurance and bank regulation.Bank loans

Loan sales: Pacific Rim trade in nontradable assets

An examination of the role of foreign banks in the loan sales market, finding that the motives for loan sales and purchases differ between U.S. and foreign-owned banks and between foreign banks of different regions, which is consistent with foreign banks' using the market for diversification.Loan sales ; Pacific Area ; International finance