This paper provides cross-country evidence that variations in bank regulatory policies result in differences in income distribution. In particular, the overall liberalization of banking systems decreases the Gini coefficient and the Theil index significantly. However, this effect fades away for...

Financial inclusion is receiving increasing attention for its potential to contribute to economic and financial development while fostering more inclusive growth and greater income equality. Although substantial progress has been made, there is still much to achieve. East Asia, the Pacific, and...

The United Kingdom (UK) has one of the largest financial services sectors in the world, and strong consumer protection regulation. Yet, despite nearly 2 decades of financial inclusion policymaking, persistent problems remain. Many individuals, often the most vulnerable, are unable to get...

Given no generally accepted framework for financial stability, policymakers in developing Asia need to manage, not avoid, financial deepening. This paper supports Asian policymakers' judgment through analysis of the recent events in the United States and Europe and of earlier crisis episodes,...

The process of financial sector restructuring started in Pakistan during early 1990s in an environment of large budget deficit and high and variable inflation. The objective of this exercise was to let financial system play its role in economic growth and development of the country in an...

Over the last decade, FinTech – broadly defined as the use of new technologies to compete in the marketplace of financial institutions and intermediaries – has disrupted the financial services sector. In this paper, we revisit the question of how banks and regulators should respond.We argue...

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether bank capital strength and external auditing requirements influenced international stock market stability during the 2007/2008 global financial crisis. Bank mandatory regulation data are obtained from the World Bank database, while stock market...

The United Kingdom (UK) has one of the largest financial services sectors in the world, and strong consumer protection regulation. Yet, despite nearly 2 decades of financial inclusion policymaking, persistent problems remain. Many individuals, often the most vulnerable, are unable to get...

This paper provides cross-country evidence that variations in bank regulatory policies result in differences in income distribution. In particular, the overall liberalization of banking systems decreases the Gini coefficient and the Theil index significantly. However, this effect fades away for...

The US Basel III Final Rule was issued by the Banking Agencies (Fed, OCC and FDIC) in July 2013. The Rule implements the international Basel III framework defined by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and represents a major overhaul of the US banks’ capital requirements, since the...