The Peruvian economy in recent decades has grown in step with growth in the financial system. However, banking penetration as a proportion of GDP has remained static at around 30% which is below other countries in the region, even those with lower GDP per capita. Access to products in the formal...

In recent years, financial depth ratios in Uruguay have trended upwards, although without reaching the levels seen prior to the crisis at the start of the century. The ratio of credit to GDP in 2010 was near 18%, while the ratio of deposits exceeded 33%. However, Uruguay is still lagging behind...

The financial system is undergoing an important regulatory overhaul, gradually increased during the last five years. Solvency II and Basel III are two of the most relevant global initiatives that try to reformulate the future landscape for finance. Under this scenario the Insurance and Pensions...

In this document, the main characteristics of the mortgage markets regulation in developed countries will be analyzed, trying to extract implications in terms of the resilience of the different systems during this crisis. The note is organized in four sections, covering the most relevant issues...

This paper analyzes whether dynamic provisioning systems act as a dampener -as intended- or as a buffer. After briefly reviewing the literature, we explain the rationale for dynamic provisions and analyze the experience of three of the few countries that adopted them: Spain, Colombia and Peru....

In this paper we explore some lessons from the Spanish housing boom and the incipient bust from the point of view of the usefulness of the regulatory approach, with particular regard to dynamic provisions and the regulatory treatment of securitisation. First, we describe the main features of the...

The financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 has drawn the attention of regulators and market participants to the severe consequences of procyclicality in the financial system. While this had already been a concern during preparations for the introduction of Basel II, it seems that much still needs to...