This paper explores whether the level of financial integration of banks in a country increases the incidence of systemic banking crises. The paper uses a de facto proxy for financial integration based on network statistics of banks participating in the global market of interbank syndicated...

The central objective of this discussion paper is to present a simple explanation of recent financial crises and, on that basis, to discuss some policy options for individual countries. Systemic policies are not discussed. More emphasis is put on understanding the nature of these crises than on...

This paper raises fundamental questions about how banks in Latin America ought to be supervised. The concentration of wealth holders in Latin America and the equity markets' resulting illiquidity permit investors who control banks to subvert the intent of capital requirements, even when the bank...

This paper argues that the experiences with banking crises in Latin America have been different from those in the industrial world because of the peculiarities of Latin American financial systems. Hence, applying the lessons derived from crisis resolution in the industrial world is not...

This paper complements previous studies by arguing that the low private savings ratio in Latin America can be associated with the limited confidence of households and businesses in domestic financial institutions. Previous studies have established a relationship between private savings and...

This study deals with the appropriate macroeconomic policies toward international capital flows. It argues that countries in a position to integrate themselves into world capital markets should develop specific policies to deal with capital flows. This paper first shows that foreign capital...

Latin America is growing fast and fundamentals look healthier. Are these achievements here to stay? Strong commodity prices may not last forever and a US recession could have major repercussions in the region. Should countries prepare now for tomorrow's crisis? What is the top-ten list on the...

This publication was undertaken in the context of the International Forum on Latin American Perspectives, jointly organized by the Inter-American Development Bank and the OECD Development Centre. The IDB and the OECD Development Centre created this forum as an annual meeting place of ideas and...

Financial frictions are a central element of most of the models that the literature on emerging markets crises has proposed for explaining the Sudden Stop phenomenon. To date, few studies have aimed to examine the quantitative implications of these models and to integrate them with an...