Why do many households remain exposed to large exogenous sources of non-systematic income risk? We use a series of randomized field experiments in rural India to test the importance of price and non-price factors in the adoption of an innovative rainfall insurance product. Demand is...

This paper discusses key findings of the Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) and Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) on Banking Supervision, Securities Regulation, Insurance Supervision and Regulation, and Securities Settlement Systems for Belgium. The assessment...

This paper presents key findings of the Financial System Stability Assessment, including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Monetary and Financial Policy Transparency, Banking Supervision, and Payment Systems for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAEs financial sector and...

The Australian banking system, which holds approximately half of total financial systems assets, and is dominated by four major banks, is sound with high earnings, high asset growth, and low levels of problem assets. Stress tests did not reveal near-term stability concerns, suggesting the...

This paper investigates the generalized parametric measurement methods of aggregate operational risk in compliance with the regulatory capital standards for operational risk in the New Basel Capital Accord ("Basel II"). Operational risk is commonly defined as the risk of loss resulting from...

There is a widespread view that bank capital requirements should be loosened during recessions and tightened during expansions to avoid excessive credit and output swings. This view is based on a partial analysis that ignores the effects of capital requirement policies on the saving decisions of...

Most banks in Paraguay appear resilient to shocks, although the exposure to large borrowers is high. The mission strongly recommends the adoption of measures that would moderate credit growth and induce financial institutions to build cushions that can protect them and their clients from a...

The 2001 financial system stability assessment identified risks of financial sector instability, as rapid increases in foreign and domestic currency indebtedness, accumulating external imbalances, and inflation accompanied Iceland's expansion of the late 1990s. The insurance sector, composed of...