June 7, 2018 The Bank of Canada’s Financial System Survey Financial System Review - June 2018 Guillaume Bédard-Pagé, Ian Christensen, Scott Kinnear, Maxime Leboeuf This report presents the details of a new semi-annual survey that will improve the Bank of Canada’s surveillance across the financial system and deepen efforts to engage with financial system participants. The survey collects expert opinions on the risks to and resilience of the Canadian financial system as well as on emerging trends and financial innovations. The report presents an overview of the survey and provides high-level results from the spring 2018 survey. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial markets, Financial services, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): C, C8, C83, G, G1, G11, G18, G2, G28, G3, G32
June 7, 2018 Covered Bonds as a Source of Funding for Banks’ Mortgage Portfolios Financial System Review - June 2018 Toni Ahnert The author traces developments in the Canadian covered bond market. Covered bonds could be a valuable way to provide a stable and diverse source of funding, particularly for smaller banks. However, higher issuance could increase banks’ vulnerability to liquidity stress, with implications for the broader financial system. The author argues that these benefits and challenges can be balanced in a well-designed policy framework. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): G, G1, G2, G21, G28
June 7, 2018 Establishing a Resolution Regime for Canada’s Financial Market Infrastructures Financial System Review - June 2018 Elizabeth Woodman, Lucia Chung, Nikil Chande This report highlights how an effective resolution regime promotes financial stability. It does this by ensuring that financial market infrastructures (FMIs) would be able to continue to provide their critical functions during a period of stress when an FMI’s own recovery measures were failing. The report explains the Bank of Canada’s new role as the resolution authority for FMIs, which will further bolster financial system resilience. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial markets, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): G, G1, G10, G19, G2, G20, G28, G29
November 28, 2017 Shoring Up the Foundations for a More Resilient Banking System: The Development of Basel III Financial System Review - November 2017 Sheryl King, Alexandra Lai, Tamara Gomes The authors trace the development of the Basel III standards for banking regulation. Basel III builds on two earlier frameworks, in response to weaknesses revealed during the global financial crisis. They highlight how implementation of the standards will underpin greater financial stability and provide a sound foundation for economic growth. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): G, G1, G2, G21, G28
November 28, 2017 Analysis of Household Vulnerabilities Using Loan-Level Mortgage Data Financial System Review - November 2017 Olga Bilyk, Alexander Ueberfeldt, Yang Xu This report examines detailed data on home mortgages to provide a better understanding of the vulnerabilities associated with the mortgage market. The proportion of low-ratio mortgages is growing, particularly in regions with strong house price growth. Moreover, these borrowers exhibit less flexibility to adverse shocks, since they have high debt levels relative to income and have taken mortgages with long amortization periods. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Credit and credit aggregates, Recent economic and financial developments, Sectoral balance sheet JEL Code(s): D, D1, D12, D14, G, G2, G21, G28
June 8, 2017 Canada’s International Investment Position: Benefits and Potential Vulnerabilities Financial System Review - June 2017 Gabriel Bruneau, Maxime Leboeuf, Guillaume Nolin While greater global financial integration is beneficial, the authors discuss how foreign capital inflows can also facilitate the buildup of domestic vulnerabilities and potentially lead to destabilizing reversals. Canada’s current international investment position is typical of advanced economies and will likely continue to act as an economic stabilizer. However, the growth and composition of Canada’s international investment position warrant continued monitoring. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Balance of payments and components, Financial stability, International financial markets JEL Code(s): F, F2, F21, F3, F32, F34, F36, F4, F6
June 8, 2017 Using Market-Based Indicators to Assess Banking System Resilience Financial System Review - June 2017 Cameron MacDonald, Maarten van Oordt This report reviews the use of quantitative tools to gauge market participants’ assessment of banking system resilience. These measures complement traditional balance-sheet metrics and suggest that markets consider large Canadian banks to be better placed to weather adverse shocks than banks in other advanced economies. Compared with regulatory capital ratios, however, the measures suggest less improvement in banking system resilience since the pre-crisis period. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial markets, Financial stability JEL Code(s): G, G0, G01, G1, G10, G2, G21
May 25, 2017 Project Jasper: Are Distributed Wholesale Payment Systems Feasible Yet? Financial System Review - June 2017 James Chapman, Rodney J. Garratt, Scott Hendry, Andrew McCormack, Wade McMahon This report describes a joint endeavour between public and private sectors to explore a wholesale payment system based on distributed ledger technology (DLT). They find that a stand-alone DLT system is unlikely to be as beneficial as a centralized payment system in terms of core operating costs; however, it could increase financial system efficiency as a result of integration with the broader financial market infrastructure. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Digital currencies and fintech, Financial system regulation and policies, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): E, E4, E42, E5, E58, G, G2, G28
December 15, 2016 Toward More Resilient Markets: Over-the-Counter Derivatives Reform in Canada Financial System Review - December 2016 Michael Mueller, André Usche In Toward More Resilient Markets: Over-the-Counter Derivatives Reform in Canada, Michael Mueller and André Usche show that the implementation of derivatives market reforms in Canada is well under way and has lessened vulnerabilities. But accompanying changes to market structure have both positive and negative effects that require ongoing attention from authorities. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial markets, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): G, G0, G01, G1, G15, G2, G28
December 15, 2016 The Rise of Mortgage Finance Companies in Canada: Benefits and Vulnerabilities Financial System Review - December 2016 Donald Coletti, Marc-André Gosselin, Cameron MacDonald The Rise of Mortgage Finance Companies in Canada: Benefits and Vulnerabilities, by Don Coletti, Marc-André Gosselin and Cameron MacDonald, examines the increased importance of mortgage finance companies (MFCs) in the Canadian mortgage market. The authors discuss the MFC business model, highlighting MFCs’ relationship with mortgage brokers and banks, as well as the benefits they bring to Canadian borrowers. The authors conclude with a discussion of the impact of MFCs on financial system vulnerabilities. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): G, G2, G23