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17 March 2010

CEPS: Overcoming too-big-to-fail; a regulatory framework to limit moral hazard and free riding


The CEPS-Assonime Task Force is arguing that legally forcing financial institutions to split their businesses and limit their risk-taking activities is not the right solution. It would be hard to implement and could entail large costs in terms of the availability of credit to the economy.

Overcoming too-big-to-fail; A Regulatory Framework to Limit Moral Hazard and Free Riding in the Financial Sector
Following the demise of Lehman Brothers, the debate on regulatory reform has been misled into concluding that large financial institutions must be broken up and their risk-taking activities limited by law, as called for by the ‘Volcker rule’.
This report by the joint CEPS-Assonime Task Force argues that such actions are by no means necessary, may be hard to implement in practice and could entail large costs in terms of the availability of credit to the economy (e.g. if they reduced the ability of banks to hedge their credit positions). Alternative solutions would achieve a more stable and resilient financial system without renouncing the benefits of multi-purpose financial institutions and innovative finance. These are predicated on effectively curtailing moral hazard and strengthening market discipline on banks’ shareholders and managers by raising the cost of the banking charter to fully reflect its benefits for the banks, and restoring the possibility that all or at least most financial institutions could go bust without triggering unmanageable systemic repercussions. The authors have outlined a comprehensive framework for regulating cross-border banking groups
 


© CEPS - Centre for European Policy Studies

Documents associated with this article

TFR Bank Crisis Resolution[1].pdf


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