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Lessons Learned: David Wilcox, Mercedes Cardona Jul 2022

Lessons Learned: David Wilcox, Mercedes Cardona

Journal of Financial Crises

David Wilcox was the deputy director of the Division of Research and Statistics of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-¬09. He assisted in developing the Federal Reserve policy response that ultimately stabilized the economy by providing insight into the economic and financial outlook to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) prior to each of its policy-setting meetings. Wilcox became director of the division in 2011 and served in that role through 2018, acting as the division’s chief economist, manager, and the senior adviser to three Fed chairs. After leaving the Fed, he joined …


Lessons Learned: Scott G. Alvarez, Esq., Part 2, Steven Kelly Jul 2022

Lessons Learned: Scott G. Alvarez, Esq., Part 2, Steven Kelly

Journal of Financial Crises

Scott G. Alvarez was general counsel of the Federal Reserve Board during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). He met with the Yale Program on Financial Stability (YPFS) to discuss a litany of legal aspects related to the Fed’s interventions under its emergency liquidity provision authority under Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act. We summarize some highlights from our interview with Mr. Alvarez. The transcript of this interview, conducted in April 2022, and one from an earlier Lessons Learned interview, in December 2018


Norway: Covered Bond Swap Program, Sean Fulmer Jul 2022

Norway: Covered Bond Swap Program, Sean Fulmer

Journal of Financial Crises

As the Global Financial Crisis spread, liquidity strains appeared in Norwegian money markets, limiting banks from accessing high-quality and long-term financing. In response, on October 24, 2008, the Norwegian government authorized a Norwegian krone (NOK) 350 billion (USD 50 billion) covered bond swap program to be operated by Norges Bank, the central bank, on behalf of the Ministry of Finance. Under this program, Norwegian commercial banks, savings banks, and, later, mortgage companies could exchange certain covered bonds, known in Norwegian as obligasjoner med fortrinnrett (OMFs), for treasury bills. Pricing was determined in an auction. In each auction, Norges Bank set …


European Central Bank: Term Refinancing Operations, Corey N. Runkel Jul 2022

European Central Bank: Term Refinancing Operations, Corey N. Runkel

Journal of Financial Crises

During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the European Central Bank (ECB) expanded the frequency, maturities, size, and set of eligible collateral for several of its standing term refinancing operations (TROs). Changes started in August 2007, when the European interbank market tightened, and the ECB supplemented its monthly longer-term refinancing operations (LTROs) with another three-month-maturity tender each month. Another encounter with market turbulence in March 2008 brought six-month LTROs. The largest expansion came after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008: the ECB enlarged its set of eligible collateral, added 12-month LTROs, and added special-term refinancing operations (STROs) that matured …


Greece: Emergency Liquidity Assistance, Corey N. Runkel Jul 2022

Greece: Emergency Liquidity Assistance, Corey N. Runkel

Journal of Financial Crises

The Global Financial Crisis of 2007-09 triggered a deep recession in Greece, leading investors to withdraw one third of Greek bank deposits between 2008 and 2011. As banks’ nonperforming assets rose and rating agencies downgraded Greek sovereign debt, Greek banks’ capital fell below levels required for Eurosystem refinancing operations. In response, the Bank of Greece (BOG) provided Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) to all Greek banks. ELA was a revolving credit line open to solvent institutions at a premium rate, so long as that support did not interfere with the Eurosystem’s monetary policy. European Central Bank (ECB) rules required the BOG …


European Central Bank: Fine-Tuning Operations, Corey N. Runkel Jul 2022

European Central Bank: Fine-Tuning Operations, Corey N. Runkel

Journal of Financial Crises

Credit in the European interbank market tightened in August 2007 as banks sustained losses in mortgage-backed securities markets. On August 9, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced a EUR 95 billion fine-tuning operation (FTO). The Eurosystem continued providing FTOs carrying overnight maturities through the next three business days. Two more bouts of interbank funding stress—in March and September 2008—caused the ECB to deploy more FTOs. The ECB provided liquidity through 12 emergency, overnight FTOs, all but one at least EUR 25 billion in size. All operations, except the first and last, used variable-rate, fixed-allotment auctions. The first and last operations …


United States: Transaction Account Guarantee Program, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

United States: Transaction Account Guarantee Program, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

The collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 led many uninsured depositors to withdraw their funds from US banks that they perceived as troubled. To reassure depositors, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), on October 14, 2008, guaranteed certain debt and deposits through its Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (TLGP). The Temporary Account Guarantee Program (TAGP) was one component of the TLGP. Through the TAGP, the FDIC provided unlimited insurance to noninterest-bearing transaction accounts (NIBTAs) and other low-interest-bearing accounts. On October 3, 2008, the US Congress had increased the limit on insured deposits to $250,000. By guaranteeing these accounts in full, …


United States: Temporary Guarantee Program For Money Market Funds, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

United States: Temporary Guarantee Program For Money Market Funds, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

On September 16, 2008, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Reserve Primary Fund “broke the buck,” meaning that its net asset value (NAV) fell more than 0.5% below the $1 per share target value maintained by money-market funds (MMFs). When the Reserve Primary Fund could not restore the NAV, investors began withdrawing funds from MMFs, leading to a $439 billion run on the MMF market. To stop this run, the US Department of the Treasury established the Temporary Guarantee Program for Money Market Funds (the Guarantee Program), which insured investors’ holdings in participating MMFs. The Guarantee Program was designed …


Taiwan (Roc): Central Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lily S. Engbith Jul 2022

Taiwan (Roc): Central Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lily S. Engbith

Journal of Financial Crises

In September 2008, the failure of a large Taiwanese bank led depositors to shift billions of dollars from private banks to state-owned banks. To stem the runs, the government on October 7 invoked its authority under Articles 28 and 29 of the Deposit Insurance Act to announce a temporary, unlimited guarantee on all deposit accounts of institutions covered by the Central Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC). In addition to removing the previous TWD 3 million (USD 90,000) cap per depositor, the expanded coverage included several types of deposit accounts that had not been previously insured by the CDIC. As the CDIC’s …


United Kingdom: Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

United Kingdom: Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

In mid-September 2007, as credit markets froze, Northern Rock, the United Kingdom’s fifth-largest mortgage bank, struggled to secure short-term funding and sought emergency liquidity assistance from the Bank of England (BoE). As word of that support leaked to the public, the bank suffered a run by its retail depositors. On September 17, Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) announced it would guarantee all of Northern Rock’s deposits. On October 1, 2007, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), then the UK’s lead financial regulator, announced that the UK’s deposit insurer would abolish co-insurance and cover 100% of eligible accounts, up to GBP 35,000 (USD …


Spain: Deposit Guarantee Funds, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Spain: Deposit Guarantee Funds, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

On October 10, 2008, Spanish authorities increased the amount insured under its three Fondos de Garantía de Depósitos (FGDs), Spain’s deposit-insurance schemes, from EUR 20,000 to EUR 100,000 (USD 27,200 to USD 136,000). By raising this limit, which was meant to be a permanent change to the banking system, Spanish authorities intended to bolster depositor confidence while exceeding a recent European Union (EU) recommendation to expand such coverage to at least EUR 50,000. Membership in one of the FGDs was compulsory for banks, cajas (savings banks), and cooperatives, each of which had a separate fund. These institutions paid a 0.2% …


Swiss Banks’ And Securities Dealers’ Depositor Protection Association, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Swiss Banks’ And Securities Dealers’ Depositor Protection Association, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Swiss authorities adopted changes to their deposit-insurance system, partly in response to similar measures by neighboring countries. On November 5, 2008, the Swiss finance minister announced that Switzerland would propose legislation to increase depositor coverage from CHF 30,000 to CHF 100,000 (USD 85,400). Swiss authorities also increased the maximum amount of ex-post contributions they could levy from CHF 4 billion to CHF 6 billion. The Swiss Banks’ and Securities Dealers’ Depositor Protection Association (ESI), Switzerland’s standing deposit-insurance body, administered its federal deposit-insurance system. The ESI was privately administered, was compulsory for nearly all deposit-taking …


Slovenia: Unlimited Deposit Guarantee, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Slovenia: Unlimited Deposit Guarantee, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

On October 7, 2008, as the European Union (EU) coordinated its members’ response to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), its Economic and Financial Council (ECOFIN) recommended that member states raise their deposit-insurance coverage to at least EUR 50,000 (USD 67,000). Germany and Austria went further and adopted an unlimited guarantee of deposits. In response, Slovenia announced its Unlimited Deposit Guarantee on October 8, 2008. Slovenia’s national assembly adopted the program on November 11, 2008, effective November 20. The Bank of Slovenia (BoS) administered the program, as it had Slovenia’s existing deposit-insurance scheme. When an insured bank failed, fees were imposed …


Russia: Deposit Insurance Agency (2008–2009), Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Russia: Deposit Insurance Agency (2008–2009), Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

Russian authorities responded to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in September and October 2008 with various measures to provide liquidity to the banking sector and restore market confidence. Among these, on October 13, 2008, Russia amended its deposit insurance system. This amendment increased the deposit insurance cap from RUB 400,000 to RUB 700,000 (about USD 15,000 to USD 26,000) and abolished co-insurance, increasing the guarantee’s full coverage of deposits from 90% to 100%. The Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) administered the deposit insurance system. It covered all household deposit accounts and was mandatory for all banks operating in Russia. Banks were …


Singapore: Government Guarantee On Deposits, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Singapore: Government Guarantee On Deposits, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

On October 16, 2008, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15 and the introduction of Hong Kong’s unlimited deposit guarantee on October 14, Singapore announced its Government Guarantee on Deposits (GGD). The GGD was meant “to avoid an erosion of banks’ deposit base and ensure a level international playing field for banks in Singapore.” It was administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Singapore’s central bank and financial regulatory body, and was backed by government reserves totaling SGD 150 billion (about USD 100 billion). The program expanded upon Singapore’s pre-crisis guarantee of SGD 20,000, which was administered …


Romania: Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Romania: Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

Following international calls to strengthen deposit-insurance systems during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Romanian authorities increased their deposit-insurance coverage from EUR 20,000 to EUR 50,000 (USD 26,800 to USD 67,000) on October 14, 2008, with the change coming into effect the next day. The Fondul de Garantare a Depozitelor Bancare (FGDB), Romania’s existing deposit insurer, implemented it. Membership was mandatory for all banks registered with the National Bank of Romania (NBR), and local branches of foreign banks could apply for supplementary coverage if their home coverage was below EUR 50,000. The FGDB covered most deposit accounts and charged participating institutions …


Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lily S. Engbith Jul 2022

Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lily S. Engbith

Journal of Financial Crises

At the height of the Global Financial Crisis in October 2008, moves by other countries to expand the scope of their bank deposit insurance led the Philippine government to consider similar measures. Unlike most countries, however, the government did not make the changes immediately. After a lengthy legislative process, the President signed a bill on April 29, 2009, doubling the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (PDIC’s) coverage from PHP 250,000 to PHP 500,000 (about USD 5,300 to USD 10,600) per depositor, with any losses in excess of PHP 250,000 covered by the national government. The changes took effect on June 1, …


Malaysia: Government Deposit Guarantee, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Malaysia: Government Deposit Guarantee, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

On October 16, 2008, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers and regional expansions of deposit insurance, Malaysia announced its Government Deposit Guarantee (GDG), an unlimited guarantee of deposits held at eligible institutions. Given the “soundness and strong capitalization” of the banking sector, the preemptive program was meant “to maintain the stability of the Malaysian financial system.” Prior to the crisis, the Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (PIDM), Malaysia’s deposit-insurance agency, guaranteed up to MYR 60,000 (USD 17,291) per depositor per insured institution. The PIDM was tasked with administering the GDG. Under the GDG, the PIDM insured all ringgit and foreign-currency deposits. …


New Zealand: Crown Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

New Zealand: Crown Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 led to a global financial crisis. Leaders of the G-7 countries agreed on October 10, 2008, to five principles for addressing the crisis, including the need for sound deposit insurance. On October 12, Australia’s prime minister announced a deposit insurance program that his government had first publicly vetted in June. Anticipating Australia’s announcement, New Zealand’s prime minister announced its own deposit guarantee scheme on the same afternoon. The government launched the Crown Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme (the Scheme) “to ensure ongoing retail depositor confidence in New Zealand’s financial system, given turbulence in the …


Association For The Guarantee Of Deposits Luxembourg, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Association For The Guarantee Of Deposits Luxembourg, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Luxembourgish officials in October 2008 announced plans to raise the country’s deposit-insurance cap to EUR 100,000 (USD 134,000) and eliminate co-insurance. Prior to the GFC, Luxembourg’s deposit-insurance system covered 90% of deposits in eligible accounts up to EUR 22,222, with depositors responsible for the remaining 10%. On December 19, 2008, the legislature increased the cap to EUR 100,000 and removed the co-insurance, effective January 1, 2009. The Association Pour la Garantie des Dépôts Luxembourg (AGDL), a private deposit-insurance body, administered these changes. All deposit-taking institutions and approved investment firms, except branches of foreign banks, …


Latvia: Deposit Guarantee Fund, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Latvia: Deposit Guarantee Fund, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Latvian authorities raised the country’s deposit-insurance cap from EUR 20,000 to EUR 50,000 (USD 26,800 to USD 67,000) in response to international calls to bolster deposit-insurance systems. They passed the measure on October 16, 2008, and it came into effect two days later. The Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC), Latvia’s prudential supervisor and existing deposit administrator, oversaw the guarantee. The FCMC covered most types of deposit accounts and insured all Latvian-registered deposit-taking institutions, including some foreign-bank branches operating in Latvia. The FCMC charged quarterly premiums on insured accounts and could levy additional fees …


Kuwait: Unlimited Deposit Guarantee, Sharon M. Nunn Jul 2022

Kuwait: Unlimited Deposit Guarantee, Sharon M. Nunn

Journal of Financial Crises

On October 26, 2008, at the height of the Global Financial Crisis, the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) announced that it would support Gulf Bank, the country’s third-largest bank, which had sustained losses on clients’ derivatives trades. In the same announcement, it said it would ask the government to guarantee all banking deposits to shore up confidence in banks and to keep Kuwait’s banking system competitive with those of other countries, including neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which had already announced unlimited deposit guarantees. The legislature passed an unlimited deposit guarantee bill eight days later. Kuwait did …


Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lily S. Engbith Jul 2022

Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation, Lily S. Engbith

Journal of Financial Crises

To address the risk of capital flight to neighboring countries during the Global Financial Crisis, the Indonesian government raised the limit on insured deposits 20-fold from IDR 100 million to IDR 2 billion per account (about USD 200,000). The President issued two government regulations on October 13, 2008. The first was an emergency decree that authorized the government, in consultation with the Indonesian Parliament, to alter the limit in times of systemic financial distress. The second was a government regulation enacting the actual increase, which has remained in effect since the crisis. All banks operating within Indonesia, including branches of …


Hungary: National Deposit Insurance Fund, Zijin (Phoebe) Lei, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Hungary: National Deposit Insurance Fund, Zijin (Phoebe) Lei, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

At the height of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Hungary announced changes to its deposit-insurance system on October 8, 2008. The government said that it would increase the deposit-insurance cap from HUF 6 million to HUF 13 million (about USD 31,000 to about USD 68,000), the equivalent of roughly EUR 50,000 (about USD 68,000), in line with a European Union (EU) recommendation. Hungary’s finance minister also announced that the state would temporarily provide an unlimited deposit guarantee, following the actions of several European countries. The unlimited guarantee was political, meaning it was not implemented through official legislation. It was effective …


Hong Kong Sar: Full Deposit Guarantee, Ezekiel Vergara, Lily S. Engbith Jul 2022

Hong Kong Sar: Full Deposit Guarantee, Ezekiel Vergara, Lily S. Engbith

Journal of Financial Crises

Following a run on Hong Kong’s fifth-biggest bank in September 2008, the Hong Kong government announced that it would use its Exchange Fund to extend full insurance temporarily to depositors at approved banks. The existing Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) would continue to insure the first 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (HKD; about USD 13,000) per depositor at each bank; the new program would cover the rest. It also covered a broader set of institutions. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) administered the program, overseen by the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board (HKDPB); the HKMA was also responsible for managing the Exchange …


Greece: Hellenic Deposit Guarantee Fund, Lily S. Engbith Jul 2022

Greece: Hellenic Deposit Guarantee Fund, Lily S. Engbith

Journal of Financial Crises

Responding to general financial and economic volatility during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the Greek government in November 2008 sought to shore up public confidence in the banking system by raising the deposit-insurance limit from EUR 20,000 to EUR 100,000 (127,000 USD) per depositor for three years. The Hellenic Deposit Guarantee Fund (HDGF) was responsible for administering this adjustment, which was accompanied by a fivefold increase in the percentages used for calculating member institutions’ annual contributions. All credit institutions that were authorized to operate in Greece, including branches of foreign banks without their own coverage, were required to participate in …


France: Deposit Guarantee Fund, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

France: Deposit Guarantee Fund, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

In October 2008, during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), European Union (EU) officials urged member states to raise their minimum deposit-insurance coverage to at least EUR 50,000 (USD 68,000) to promote confidence in banks. France did not need to increase its deposit-insurance cap to meet this target, as it already guaranteed EUR 70,000. The following year, EU officials passed a directive that required all member states to permanently increase their minimum deposit-insurance coverage to EUR 100,000 by December 31, 2010. French authorities complied with the EU’s directive on September 29, 2010. The Fonds de Garantie des Dépôts (FGD), a private …


Australia: Financial Claims Scheme, Ezekiel Vergara Jul 2022

Australia: Financial Claims Scheme, Ezekiel Vergara

Journal of Financial Crises

Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, the Australian government intervened in its own banking system, both to support domestic depositors and to keep its banking system competitive with those in countries whose regulators had already intervened. On October 12, 2008, the Australian government announced the Financial Claims Scheme (FCS) to insure bank depositors. The deposit guarantee automatically insured depositors at all authorized deposit-taking institutions and covered a range of deposit accounts. As initially announced, the FCS would provide a blanket guarantee to all depositors with no fee for participation. This blanket guarantee, however, prompted a migration …


Lessons Learned: William Nelson, Sandra Ward Dec 2021

Lessons Learned: William Nelson, Sandra Ward

Journal of Financial Crises

William Nelson was deputy director, Division of Monetary Affairs, at the Federal Reserve Board during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–09 (GFC). As the nation’s central bank, chief financial regulator, and lender of last resort, the Federal Reserve Board took the lead in setting monetary policy and stabilizing the financial system during the crisis.

Nelson’s responsibilities at the Fed during the crisis included analysis of monetary policy and discount window policy as well as financial institution supervision, and he regularly briefed the board and the Federal Open Market Committee. He developed special expertise in designing liquidity facilities and was a …


Lessons Learned: Timothy Massad, Yasemin Esmen Dec 2021

Lessons Learned: Timothy Massad, Yasemin Esmen

Journal of Financial Crises

Timothy Massad was assistant secretary for financial stability at the US Department of the Treasury between 2009 and 2014. He oversaw the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), which was passed by Congress in October 2008 to enable the Treasury to buy assets of and invest in banks and companies to stem the financial crisis. Massad was involved in the implementation of TARP as well as its winding down; it ultimately invested $439 billion. This “Lessons Learned” is based on a phone interview with Mr. Massad.