A perspective on the symptoms and causes of the financial crisis

• Main Author: Cabral, Ricardo
• Publication Date: 2011
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4970
• topic: Banking; Basel Capital Accords; Financial Crisis; Financial Intermediation; Reserve Requirements

This article identifies two paradoxes prior to the onset of the financial crisis: banking profits were at historically high levels despite the impending crisis; and though profits were high the profitability of financial intermediation was poor. Using a novel model of banking, it argues that large banks attained high profits through balance sheet expansion and growing mismatches between assets and liabilities. As a result, large banks’ financial leverage rose while their liquidity structure worsened, setting the conditions for a systemic banking crisis. Finally, this article argues that this conduct and performance was only possible due to misguided changes to the regulatory framework, specifically the Basel I Capital Accord and reductions in reserve requirements.