Download (Pdf)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Download (Pdf) VOLUME 83 • NUMBER 12 • DECEMBER 1997 FEDERAL RESERVE BULLETIN BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, WASHINGTON, D.C. PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Joseph R. Coyne, Chairman • S. David Frost • Griffith L. Garwood • Donald L. Kohn • J. Virgil Mattingly, Jr. • Michael J. Prell • Richard Spillenkothen • Edwin M. Truman The Federal Reserve Bulletin is issued monthly under the direction of the staff publications committee. This committee is responsible for opinions expressed except in official statements and signed articles. It is assisted by the Economic Editing Section headed by S. Ellen Dykes, the Graphics Center under the direction of Peter G. Thomas, and Publications Services supervised by Linda C. Kyles. Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Table of Contents 947 TREASURY AND FEDERAL RESERVE OPEN formance can improve investor and counterparty MARKET OPERATIONS decisions, thus improving market discipline on banking organizations and other companies, During the third quarter of 1997, the dollar before the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, appreciated 5.0 percent against the Japanese yen Securities and Government Sponsored Enter- and 0.8 percent against the German mark. On a prises of the House Committee on Banking and trade-weighted basis against other Group of Ten Financial Services, October 1, 1997. currencies, the dollar appreciated 1.4 percent. The U.S. monetary authorities did not undertake 96\ Theodore E. Allison, Assistant to the Board of any intervention in the foreign exchange mar- Governors for Federal Reserve System Affairs, kets during the quarter. reports on the Federal Reserve's plans for deal- ing with some new-design $50 notes that 953 STAFF STUDY SUMMARY were imperfectly printed, including the Federal Reserve's view of the quality and quantity of In The Cost of Implementing Consumer Finan- $50 notes currently being produced by the cial Regulations, the authors present results for Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the options U.S. commercial banks from a 1992-93 Federal the Federal Reserve is looking into for handling Reserve survey of the costs of complying with the imperfect notes, and the steps it is taking the Truth in Savings Act. Besides reporting jointly with the Bureau of Engraving and Print- descriptive data, they discuss the factors shown ing to better ensure satisfaction with notes pro- by statistical analysis to affect costs and look at duced by the Bureau in the future, before the the implications of the findings for policies on Subcommittee on Domestic and International regulatory change. Monetary Policy of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services, October 1, 954 INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND CAPACITY 1997. UTILIZATION FOR OCTOBER 1997 Industrial production rose 0.5 percent in Octo- 963 Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Gover- ber, to 122.7 percent of its 1992 average, after a nors, discusses the improvement in our fiscal downward revised gain of 0.5 percent in Sep- position, after decades-long deterioration, and tember. The rate of industrial capacity utilization says that if our goals are economic growth and rose to 84.3 percent—its highest rate since rising living standards, fostered by investment March 1995. and price stability, fiscal policy in his judgment will need to be biased toward surpluses in the 957 STATEMENTS TO THE CONGRESS years immediately ahead, especially given the inexorable demographic trends that threaten Susan M. Phillips, member, Board of Gover- huge increases in outlays beyond 2010; he also nors, discusses the Federal Reserve Board's says that we must not squander years of efforts views on proposed accounting standards for de- to balance the budget and the benefits of ideal rivatives and risk-management activities issued economic conditions by failing to address our by the Financial Accounting Standards Board long-term imbalances such as the critical (FASB) and says that the Federal Reserve shares imbalance faced by social security and that the several objectives with the FASB for improving changes that will be required to restore fiscal financial reporting, including the fundamental balance to our social security accounts are sig- objectives of promoting clear and understand- nificant but manageable, before the House Com- able financial reports that increase the transpar- mittee on the Budget, October 8, 1997. ency of companies' activities, and also the view that accounting and disclosure standards that 968 Governor Phillips discusses the Federal Re- faithfully represent financial condition and per- serve's efforts in recent years to strengthen its Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis supervisory processes and also the Board's thrift institutions, with regard to the treatment views about what challenges lie ahead, for both of certain unrealized revaluation gains on the banking system and the supervisory process, equity securities. and says that progress made in recent years to Availability of a report on the payments system focus examinations on the areas of highest risk forums held by the Federal Reserve earlier this at banking organizations places the Federal year. Reserve in a better position to identify problems early, control systemic risk, and maintain finan- Availability of revised lists of over-the-counter cial stability, although implementing the risk- stocks and of foreign stocks subject to margin focused approach has not been an easy task, regulations. before the Subcommittee on Financial Institu- tions and Consumer Credit of the House Com- 981 MINUTES OF THE FEDERAL OPEN mittee on Banking and Financial Services, Octo- MARKET COMMITTEE MEETING ber 8, 1997. HELD ON AUGUST 19, 1997 974 Theodore E. Allison comments on H.R.2637, At its meeting on August 19, 1997, the Com- the United States $1 Coin Act of 1997, which mittee adopted a directive that called for main- proposes that the dollar coin be made gold in taining conditions in reserve markets that were color and given a distinctive rim, that it retain consistent with an unchanged federal funds the dimension of the Susan B. Anthony dollar rate of about 5V2 percent. The Committee coin, and that the dollar note remain in circula- decided that a somewhat higher federal funds tion, and says that the Federal Reserve believes rate would be acceptable or a slightly lower that the proposed bill achieves a good balance federal funds rate might be acceptable during among the issues involved in the dollar-coin- the intermeeting period. versus-dollar-note debate and supports its pas- sage, before the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy of the House 987 LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS Committee on Banking and Financial Services, Various bank holding company, bank service October 21, 1997. corporation, and bank merger orders; and pend- 975 Chairman Greenspan addresses the turbulence ing cases. in world financial markets and says that the financial disturbances that have afflicted a num- 1037 MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD OF ber of currencies in Asia do not at this point GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE threaten prosperity in this country but that we SYSTEM, 1913-97 need to work closely with their leaders and the international financial community to ensure that List of appointive and ex officio members. their situations stabilize, before the Joint Eco- nomic Committee of the U.S. Congress, Octo- A1 FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS STATISTICS ber 29, 1997. These tables reflect data available as of October 29, 1997. 978 ANNOUNCEMENTS A3 GUIDE TO TABULAR PRESENTATION Appointment of Edward M. Gramlich as a mem- ber of the Board of Governors. A4 Domestic Financial Statistics A42 Domestic Nonfinancial Statistics Appointment of Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., as a A50 International Statistics member of the Board of Governors. Meeting of the Consumer Advisory Council. A63 GUIDE TO STATISTICAL RELEASES AND SPECIAL TABLES Amendments to Regulation D. Proposal by the banking supervisory agencies to A64 INDEX TO STATISTICAL TABLES amend their respective risk-based capital stan- dards for banks, bank holding companies, and A66 BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND STAFF Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A68 FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE AND A74 MAPS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM STAFF; ADVISORY COUNCILS A76 FEDERAL RESERVE BANKS, BRANCHES, A70 FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD PUBLICATIONS AND OFFICES A72 SCHEDULE OF RELEASE DATES FOR A77 INDEX TO VOLUME 83 PERIODIC RELEASES Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Treasury and Federal Reserve Foreign Exchange Operations This quarterly report describes U.S. Treasury and 0.6 percent in the third quarter of 1996. Implied System foreign exchange operations for the period volatility on one-month dollar-mark options rose to from July through September 1997. It was presented its highest levels this year, peaking in late August by Peter R. Fisher, Executive Vice President, Federal after the dollar reached eight-year highs against Reserve Bank of New York, and Manager, System the mark. One-month dollar-yen implied volatility Open Market Account. Andrew Jewell was primarily moved higher over the quarter, but fell short of this responsible for preparation of the report. year's peak levels established in May. During the third quarter of 1997, the dollar appreci- ated 5.0 percent against the Japanese yen and 0.8 per- 1. Spot exchange rate of the dollar against the German mark cent against the German mark. On a trade-weighted and volatility implied by option prices, 1997:Q2-Q3 basis against other Group of Ten (G-10) currencies, the dollar appreciated 1.4 percent.1 The dollar German marks per U.S. dollar Percent per year reached eight-year highs against the mark in early 115 1 on M rl/ August, driven by market perceptions that the Euro- One-month volatilities hi W110 pean Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) would 1.85 — | i i\ Nr vi a 105 include a broad group of countries and result in a I fl JV/v VV k — IO.O "weak" single currency.
Recommended publications
  • The Public Option in Housing Finance
    The Public Option in Housing Finance Adam J. Levitin†* and Susan M. Wachter** The U.S. housing finance system presents a conundrum for the scholar of regulation because it defies description using the traditional regulatory vocabulary of command-and-control, taxation, subsidies, cap-and-trade permits, and litigation. Instead, since the New Deal, the housing finance market has been regulated primarily by government participation in the market through a panoply of institutions. The government’s participation in the market has shaped the nature of the products offered in the market. We term this form of regulation “public option” regulation. This Article presents a case study of this “public option” as a regulatory mode. It explains the public option’s rise as a governmental gap-filling response to market failures. The public option, however, took on a life of its own as the federal government undertook financial innovations that the private market had eschewed, in particular the development of the “American mortgage” — a long-term, fixed-rate fully amortizing mortgage. These innovations were trend-setting and set the tone for entire housing finance market, serving as functional regulation. The public option was never understood as a regulatory system due to its ad hoc nature. As a result, its integrity was not protected. Key parts of the system were privatized without a substitution of alternative regulatory measures. The consequence was a return to the very market failures that led to the public option in the first place, followed by another round of ad hoc public options in housing finance. This history suggests that an † Copyright © 2013 Adam J.
    [Show full text]
  • Data Appendix
    Data Appendix Figure A.1 Real Gross National Product During the Antebellum Era: 1834–1859 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1834 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 18561858 Source: Historical Statistics, Series Ca219. Figure A.2 Selected U.S. Male Occupations: Selected Years, 1800–1960 80000 70000 Total 60000 Agriculture 50000 40000 Mining 30000 Construction 20000 Manufacturing 10000 0 Trade 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 Source: Historical Statistics, Series Ba814, Ba817, Ba819, Ba820, BA821, Ba824, Ba825, Ba826. Note: In thousands. 248 Source Source Note Source Figure A.5 Figure A.4 Figure A.3 : ThisistheSchwert’sIndexofCommonStock. : HistoricalStatistics,SeriesAa36,Aa46, Aa56. : HistoricalStatistics,SeriesCh411. : HistoricalStatistics,SeriesCj979. 100000000 150000000 200000000 250000000 300000000 100000 120000 10 12 14 16 50000000 20000 40000 60000 80000 0 2 4 6 8 0 1802 0 U.S. PopulationforSelectedYears:1790–1990 Total NumberofU.S.BusinessFailures:1857–1997 1805 Stock IndexDuringtheAntebellumEra:1802–1870 1857 1790 1830 1860 1890 1920 1950 1990 1808 1863 1869 1811 1875 1814 1881 1817 1887 1820 1893 1823 1899 1826 1905 1829 1911 1832 1917 1835 1923 1838 1929 1841 1935 1941 1844 1947 1847 1953 1850 1959 1853 Total RuralPopulation Total UrbanPopulation Total Population Total 1965 1856 Data Appendix 1971 1859 1977 1862 1983 1865 1989 1995 1868 249 Note Source Note Source Figure A.8 up totheGreatDepression:1869–1929 Figure A.7 250 Source: Figure A.6 : ThisistheIndustrialsIndex. : ThisdataisfromGallman-Kuznetsestimationandin1929dollars.
    [Show full text]
  • The Problem of Predatory Lending: Price Lauren E
    Maryland Law Review Volume 65 | Issue 3 Article 3 Decisionmaking and the Limits of Disclosure: The Problem of Predatory Lending: Price Lauren E. Willis Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mlr Part of the Banking and Finance Commons, and the Property Law and Real Estate Commons Recommended Citation Lauren E. Willis, Decisionmaking and the Limits of Disclosure: The Problem of Predatory Lending: Price, 65 Md. L. Rev. 707 (2006) Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mlr/vol65/iss3/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Academic Journals at DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maryland Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MARYLAND LAW REVIEW VOLUME 65 2006 NUMBER 3 © Copyright Maryland Law Review 2006 Articles DECISIONMAKING AND THE LIMITS OF DISCLOSURE: THE PROBLEM OF PREDATORY LENDING: PRICE LAUREN E. WILLIS* INTRODUCTION ................................................. 709 I. PREDATORY LENDING AND THE HOME LOAN MARKET ...... 715 A. The Home Lending Revolution ........................ 715 1. The Twentieth Century Marketplace: Standardized Terms, Limited and Advertised Prices, and Low Risk. 715 2. The Brave New World of ProliferatingProducts, Price, and R isk ........................................ 718 3. Evidence of Predatory Home Lending ............... 729 B. A New Definition of Predatory Lending ................. 735 II. FEDERAL LAW REGULATING THE PRICING OF HOME- SECURED LOANS: DISCLOSURE AS PANACEA ................ 741 A. The Rational Actor Decisionmaker Model ............... 741 B. CurrentFederal Law .................................. 743 C. Even a Rational Actor Could Not Use the Federal Disclosures to Price Shop in Today's Marketplace .......
    [Show full text]
  • The Real Bills Views of the Founders of the Fed
    Economic Quarterly— Volume 100, Number 2— Second Quarter 2014— Pages 159–181 The Real Bills Views of the Founders of the Fed Robert L. Hetzel ilton Friedman (1982, 103) wrote: “In our book on U.S. mon- etary history, Anna Schwartz and I found it possible to use M one sentence to describe the central principle followed by the Federal Reserve System from the time it began operations in 1914 to 1952. That principle, to quote from our book, is: ‘Ifthe ‘money market’ is properly managed so as to avoid the unproductive use of credit and to assure the availability of credit for productive use, then the money stock will take care of itself.’” For Friedman, the reference to “the money stock”was synonymous with “the price level.”1 How did American monetary experience and debate in the 19th century give rise to these “real bills” views as a guide to Fed policy in the pre-World War II period? As distilled in the real bills doctrine, the founders of the Fed under- stood the Federal Reserve System as a decentralized system of reserve depositories that would allow the expansion and contraction of currency and credit based on discounting member-bank paper that originated out of productive activity. By discounting these “real bills,”the short- term loans that …nanced trade and goods in the process of production, policymakers ful…lled their responsibilities as they understood them. That is, they would provide the reserves required to accommodate the “legitimate,” nonspeculative, demands for credit.2 In so doing, they The author acknowledges helpful comments from Huberto Ennis, Motoo Haruta, Gary Richardson, Robert Sharp, Kurt Schuler, Ellis Tallman, and Alexander Wolman.
    [Show full text]
  • FDIC Banking Review, Vol. 17, No. 4
    Banking Review 2005 VOLUME 17, NO. 4 The U.S. Federal Financial Regulatory System: Restructuring Federal Bank Regulation (page 1) by Rose Marie Kushmeider Most observers of the U.S. financial regulatory system would agree that if it did not exist, no one would invent it. Most, however, would also admit that the system–despite all its faults–has served both the financial services industry and consumers well. This paper looks at arguments for and against reform in the context of changes taking place within the industry and around the world in other financial regulatory systems. Consolidation in the U.S. Banking Industry: Is the “Long, Strange Trip” About to End? (page 31) by Kenneth D. Jones and Tim Critchfield Consolidation has been an enduring trend in the U.S. banking industry for more than two decades. This article provides an overview of the structural changes that have occurred and explores the empirical research to determine how consolidtion has affected such things as asset concentration, competition, banking efficiency and profitability, shareholder value, and the availability and pricing of banking services. Finally, the authors speculate on how the current forces of change might affect the industy’s structure going forward. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Articles may be reprinted or abstracted if the FDIC Banking Review and author(s) are credited. Please provide the FDIC’s Division of Insurance and Research with a copy of any publications containing reprinted material. Acting Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg Director, Division of Insurance Arthur J.
    [Show full text]
  • Central Banking in the United States: a Fragile Commitment to Price Stability and Independence
    Contents ~ Foreword ~ Central Banking in the United States: A Fragile Commitment to Price Stability and Independence ~ Comparative Financial Statements ~ Directors ~ Officers Forevvord ~ ineteen ninety-one was a year of changes­ policy adjustments-and there will doubtless be and often the changes took unexpected turns. many - should focus on this goal. The long-awaited bank reform bill was passed, but disappointed many in its lack of vision. The Twenty-three directors, representing banking, economy, which many observers expected to business, agriculture, consumer, and labor inter­ recover, seemed to stall and then founder at the ests, guide the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland close of the year. and its Branches. Their contributions are highly valued, as is the participation of our Small Bank At the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and Small Business Advisory Councils. change also occurred with the departure of our president, W Lee Hoskins, and the appointment Special thanks are extended to those directors of our new president, Jerry L. Jordan. who have completed their terms of service on our boards. We are especially grateful for the leader­ Lee, who left to become president and chief ship of Kate Ireland (national chairman, Frontier executive officer of The Huntington National Nursing Service of Wendover, Kentucky), who Bank, made noteworthy contributions on several was chairman of our Cincinnati Branch board fronts. He developed influential public policy of directors. We also appreciate the contributions positions on the importance of price stability of Allen L. Davis (president and chief executive and financial regulatory reform. Under his officer of The Provident Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio), leadership, the Fourth District made signifi­ who served on our Cincinnati Branch board; and cant progress toward becoming the lowest-cost E.
    [Show full text]
  • The National Monetary Commission: American Banking’S Debt to Europe
    1 The National Monetary Commission: American Banking’s Debt to Europe Zack Saravay Honors Thesis Submitted to the Department of History, Georgetown University Advisor: Professor Katherine Benton-Cohen Honors Program Chairs: Professors Amy Leonard and Katherine Benton-Cohen 8 May 2017 2 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4 HISTORIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW .................................................................................................................. 6 Creation of the Federal Reserve ........................................................................................................... 7 Progressive Era Economics ................................................................................................................ 13 BACKGROUND – THE NATIONAL BANKING SYSTEM (1863-1908) ......................................................... 15 CHAPTER I. ORIGINS OF THE NMC (1908) ...................................................................................... 25 THE BATTLE FOR CURRENCY REFORM ................................................................................................... 25 THE ALDRICH-VREELAND ACT ............................................................................................................... 28 COMPOSITION AND SCOPE OF
    [Show full text]
  • 1. What Is the Title of Colonel Harland Sanders' Autobiography?
    1. What is the title of Colonel Harland Sanders’ autobiography? Ans - Finger Lickin' Good 2. FACUNDO DA ______ gave the world which Brand? Ans – Bacardi 3. Which company's name is derived from Voice Data & Phone? Ans – Vodafone 4. Which airlines parent company is called Interglobe Airlines? Ans – Indigo 5. Which entertainment company publishes an annual report called 'KIDSENSE'? Ans – Disney 6. Which beverage giant gives out 'Wodruff Awards' annually? Ans – Coca-Cola 7. Which Microsoft hardware product, launched in 2000, was created by Seamus Blackley and Kevin Bachus ? Ans – XBOX 8. "Interpret the world" is the tagline of which magazine? Ans – The Economist 9. Which brand of tea is named after its founders Mallik and Dilhan? Ans – Dilmah Tea 10. What is Bacon mail? Ans – Mail for which you have subscribed but get filtered as SPAM 11. Which Hasbro toy line, manufactured by Takara Tomy, is divided into heroic autobots and evil decepticones? Ans - Transformers 12. Which R&D organisation started Projects Garuda, Setu, Veda, Vyasa, Vidwan, Vidur? Ans - Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) 13. Who authored the book, “India: From Midnight to the Millennium” in 1997? Ans – Shashi Tharoor 14. Which Padma Vibhushan awardee was the editor of Fortune magazine from 1943-48? Ans - John Kenneth Galbraith 15. If Michelle Obama is one of the two US first ladies to feature on the cover of Vogue, name the other one? Ans – Hillary Clinton 16. Which US director agreed to an out of court 5 Million dollar settlement with an apparel company for using his picture in their ads? Ans – Woody Allen 17.
    [Show full text]
  • Central Bank Activism Duke Law Journal, Vol
    Central Bank Activism Duke Law Journal, Vol. 71: __ (forthcoming) Christina Parajon Skinner † ABSTRACT—Today, the Federal Reserve is at a critical juncture in its evolution. Unlike any prior period in U.S. history, the Fed now faces increasing demands to expand its policy objectives to tackle a wide range of social and political problems—including climate change, income and racial inequality, and foreign and small business aid. This Article develops a framework for recognizing, and identifying the problems with, “central bank activism.” It refers to central bank activism as situations in which immediate public policy problems push central banks to aggrandize their power beyond the text and purpose of their legal mandates, which Congress has established. To illustrate, the Article provides in-depth exploration of both contemporary and historic episodes of central bank activism, thus clarifying the indicia of central bank activism and drawing out the lessons that past episodes should teach us going forward. The Article urges that, while activism may be expedient in the near term, there are long-term social costs. Activism undermines the legitimacy of central bank authority, erodes its political independence, and ultimately renders a weaker central bank. In the end, the Article issues an urgent call to resist the allure of activism. And it places front and center the need for vibrant public discourse on the role of a central bank in American political and economic life today. © 2021 Christina Parajon Skinner. Draft 2021-05-27 20:46. † Assistant Professor, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This article benefited from feedback provided by workshop or conference participants at The Wharton School, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York .
    [Show full text]
  • By:Bill Medley
    By: Bill Medley Highways of Commerce Central Banking and The U.S. Payments System By: Bill Medley Highways of Commerce Central Banking and The U.S. Payments System Published by the Public Affairs Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City 1 Memorial Drive • Kansas City, MO 64198 Diane M. Raley, publisher Lowell C. Jones, executive editor Bill Medley, author Casey McKinley, designer Cindy Edwards, archivist All rights reserved, Copyright © 2014 Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher. First Edition, July 2014 The Highways of Commerce • III �ontents Foreword VII Chapter One A Calculus of Chaos: Commerce in Early America 1 Chapter Two “Order out of Confusion:” The Suffolk Bank 7 Chapter Three “A New Era:” The Clearinghouse 19 Chapter Four “A Famine of Currency:” The Panic of 1907 27 Chapter Five “The Highways of Commerce:” The Road to a Central Bank 35 Chapter Six “A problem…of great novelty:” Building a New Clearing System 45 Chapter Seven Bank Robbers and Bolsheviks: The Par Clearance Controversy 55 Chapter Eight “A Plump Automatic Bookkeeper:” The Rise of Banking Automation 71 Chapter Nine Control and Competition: The Monetary Control Act 83 Chapter Ten The Fed’s Air Force: A Plan for the Future 95 Chapter Eleven Disruption and Evolution: The Development of Check 21 105 Chapter Twelve Banks vs. Merchants: The Durbin Amendment 113 Afterword The Path Ahead 125 Endnotes 128 Sources and Selected Bibliography 146 Photo Credits 154 Index 160 Contents • V ForewordAs Congress undertook the task of designing a central bank for the United States in 1913, it was clear that lawmakers intended for the new institution to play a key role in improving the performance of the nation’s payments system.
    [Show full text]
  • The Business of Banking: Before and After Gramm-Leach-Bliley
    The Business of Banking: Before and After Gramm-Leach-Bliley Jonathan R. Macey* I. INTRO DUCTION ......................................................................................................... 691 II. BUSINESS OF BANKING: THE ONCE AND FUTURE BANKING INDUSTRY .................... 695 A. The Current Theory of Banking ......................................................................... 695 B. A Modification of the Current Theory: Banks as Insurers................................. 697 1. Bank CapitalStructure ................................................................................. 699 2. D eposit Insurance......................................................................................... 699 3. Banks, Narrow Banks, and Mutual Funds .................................................... 701 a. Money Market Mutual Funds Versus Bank Checking Accounts .............. 701 b. Why Banks Make Loans with Depositors' Funds .................................... 703 c. Banks' Unique Role in the Economy ....................................................... 707 III. GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT: BANKS VERSUS FINANCIAL HOLDING C O M PA N IES .............................................................................................................. 709 A . F unctional R egulation........................................................................................ 710 B . P rivacy ............................................................................................................... 7 13 C. The Demandfor FinancialServices
    [Show full text]
  • The Creature from Jekyll Island
    ABOUT THE COVER The use of the Great Seal of the United States is not without significance. At first we contemplated having an artist change the eagle into a vulture. That, we thought, would attract attention and also make a statement. Upon reflection, however, we realized that the vulture is really harmless. It may be ugly, but it is a scavenger, not a killer. The eagle, on the other hand, is a predator. It is a regal creature to behold, but it is deadly to its prey. Furthermore, as portrayed on the dollar, it is protected by the shield of the United States government even though it is independent of it. Finally, it holds within its grasp the choice between peace or war. The parallels were too great to ignore. We decided to keep the eagle. G. Edward Griffin is a writer and documentary film producer with many successful titles to his credit. Listed in Who's Who in America, he is well known because of his talent for researching difficult topics and presenting them in clear terms that all can (Continued on inside of back cover) ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS BOOK Single price $19.50* HOW TO READ 40% discount on case purchases, 12 books per case. (That's $11.70 per book, $140.40 per case)* THIS BOOK California residents add 7 Vi % sales tax. Thick books can be intimidating. tend to put For shipping, handling, and insurance, add: We off reading them until we have a suitably large $5.50 for the first copy plus $1.20 for each additional copy block of time—which is to say, often they are ($18.70 per case) never read.
    [Show full text]