The thrift crisis and recent weakness in the banking sector has intensified attention toward regulatory reform. But most proposals take as a given the traditional structure of banking, under which a bank holds illiquid loans and liquid liabilities. Structural Change in Banking explores the possibility of more fundamental changes in bank structure, which would reduce the instability that is inherent in the current structure. The major essays in this book, written by leading authors in the field, examine the historical legacy of limitations on bank branching and their consequences on bank structure and stability; how securitization affects the bank structure, risk, and liquidity; the advantages to a bank from having checking account information about its loan customers; and the potential for money market funds and finance companies to become the banks of the future. Structural Change in Banking is an essential tool for bank regulators, legislators, executives, and anyone concerned with rectifying the instability of traditional banking structure. This book not only makes a strong argument for change, it provides an intelligent analysis of alternatives through which credit can be provided.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, which has hit financial systems across Africa, is likely to deteriorate banks’ balance sheets. The largest threat to banks pertains to their loan portfolios, since many borrowers have faced a sharp collapse in their income, and therefore have difficulty repaying their obligations as they come due. This could lead to a sharp increase in nonperforming loans (NPLs) in the short to medium term.

During the high interest times in the 1970's and 1980's, the banks and the savings and loan associations were under heavy financial pressure. Hundreds of them failed. The Home Loan Bank Board permitted the savings and loan associations to treat goodwill as capital, thereby allowing them to remain open and to build up enormous losses that eventually cost the taxpayers billions of dollars. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took a different approach. It closed the banks or sold them, all at no cost to the taxpayers. Bailout is the engrossing story of how the FDIC handled four of these failures. Book jacket.

A statistical profile of the United States banking industry.