Changes in Payment Timing in Canada’s Large Value Transfer System Staff Working Paper 2015-20 Nellie Zhang This paper uncovers trends in payment timing in Canada’s Large Value Transfer System (LVTS) from 2003 to 2011. Descriptive analysis shows that LVTS payment activity has not been peaking in the late afternoon since 2008, and the improvement was most significant in 2009. Content Type(s): Staff working papers Topic(s): Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): E, E5, E50, G, G2, G20
June 11, 2015 Assessing Vulnerabilities in the Canadian Financial System Financial System Review - June 2015 Ian Christensen, Gitanjali Kumar, Césaire Meh, Lorie Zorn The authors present the four common cyclical vulnerabilities that appear in financial systems, providing examples of qualitative and quantitative indicators used to monitor these vulnerabilities across different sectors. They also discuss other inputs to the vulnerability assessment and to the internal process used at the Bank of Canada for identifying, evaluating and communicating vulnerabilities and risks, and highlight some of the key challenges in assessing financial system vulnerabilities and risks. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial stability JEL Code(s): G, G0, G01, G1, G10, G2, G20
June 11, 2015 Canadian Open-End Mutual Funds: An Assessment of Potential Vulnerabilities Financial System Review - June 2015 Sandra Ramirez, Jesus Sierra, Jonathan Witmer The authors examine the liquidity and leverage characteristics of Canadian long-term, open-end mutual funds in terms of their potential systemic effects on the Canadian mutual fund sector and on the Canadian financial system more broadly. In their overall assessment of this sector, they consider the regulation, market size and ownership structure of mutual funds in Canada and provide observations about the industry globally. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial markets JEL Code(s): G, G2, G23, G28
Testing for the Diffusion Matrix in a Continuous-Time Markov Process Model with Applications to the Term Structure of Interest Rates Staff Working Paper 2015-17 Fuchun Li The author proposes a test for the parametric specification of each component in the diffusion matrix of a d-dimensional diffusion process. Overall, d (d-1)/2 test statistics are constructed for the off-diagonal components, while d test statistics are constructed for the main diagonal components. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Asset pricing, Econometric and statistical methods, Interest rates JEL Code(s): C, C1, C12, C14, E, E1, E17, E4, E43, G, G1, G12, G2, G20
May 14, 2015 Improving the Foundation of Canada’s Payments System Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2015 Lana Embree, Paul Miller The Canadian payments environment has evolved with enhancements in technology, changes in user expectations and new regulatory standards. In response, the existing regulatory framework and core payments infrastructure are being enhanced. This article describes several revisions to the governance and regulation of the payments system as well as plans to update the core payments infrastructure. These initiatives will position the Canadian payments system to more effectively support a modern and vibrant economy by serving the payments needs of Canadians safely and efficiently as the payments industry continues to evolve. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Financial system regulation and policies, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): E, E4, E42, G, G2, G28
May 14, 2015 The “Bank” at the Bank of Canada Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2015 Thérèse Couture, Christian Bélisle In this article, we describe the various types of banking services (payments, settlement and safekeeping) that the Bank of Canada provides to different types of clients (the Government of Canada, financial market infrastructures, financial institutions, foreign central banks and the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation). We also explain the reasons the Bank provides these services and how this role supports its core mandates, in particular financial stability. Finally, we explore the factors driving the growth and evolution in the provision of these banking services. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Financial services, Foreign reserves management, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): E, E5, E50, G, G2, G20
May 14, 2015 The Use of Cash in Canada Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2015 Ben Fung, Kim Huynh, Gerald Stuber The Bank of Canada’s 2013 Methods-of-Payment Survey indicates that the share of cash in the overall number of retail transactions has continued to decrease, mainly because of increased use of contactless credit cards. The share of cash in the total value of retail transactions was virtually unchanged from 2009 to 2013. In particular, the value share of cash transactions above $50 increased. Automated banking machines (ABMs), still the major source of cash for Canadians, were used less often in 2013 than in 2009. Cash use in Canada is broadly similar to that in Australia and the United States. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Bank notes, Digital currencies and fintech, Econometric and statistical methods, Financial system regulation and policies, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): C, C8, C83, E, E4, E42, G, G2, G21, L, L8, L81
Effects of Funding Portfolios on the Credit Supply of Canadian Banks Staff Working Paper 2015-10 H. Evren Damar, Césaire Meh, Yaz Terajima This paper studies how banks simultaneously manage the two sides of their balance sheet and its implications for bank risk taking and real economic activity. First, we analyze how changes in funding affect the supply of bank loans. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Financial institutions, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies, Monetary policy implementation JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, G, G2, G21
Securitization under Asymmetric Information over the Business Cycle Staff Working Paper 2015-9 Martin Kuncl This paper studies the efficiency of financial intermediation through securitization in a model with heterogeneous investment projects and asymmetric information about the quality of securitized assets. I show that when retaining part of the risk, the issuer of securitized assets may credibly signal its quality. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, Credit and credit aggregates, Economic models, Financial markets, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): E, E3, E32, E4, E44, G, G0, G01, G2, G20
Immigrants and Mortgage Delinquency in the United States Staff Working Paper 2015-1 Zhenguo Lin, Yingchun Liu, Jia Xie We investigate the relationship between immigrant status and mortgage delinquency in the United States. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Debt management, Financial stability JEL Code(s): G, G2, G21, J, J1, J15