Bitcoin isn’t much of a macro hedge
Bitcoin is often sold as protection against adverse macroeconomic outcomes. This column argues that this depiction as a macro hedge does not stand up...
Sanctions, war, and systemic risk in 1914 and 2022
The Western countries have sanctioned Russia in a way not applied to any globally integrated major power in over a century, ever since 1914. This...
The coronavirus crisis is no 2008
Many comparisons have been made between the coronavirus crisis and the global systemic crisis in 2008. This column argues that seen through the lens...
Artificial intelligence as a central banker
Artificial intelligence, such as the Bank of England Bot, is set to take over an increasing number of central bank functions. This column argues that...
Systemic consequences of outsourcing to the cloud
Financial institutions are increasingly outsourcing information technology to the cloud, motivated by efficiency, security, and cost. This column...
The dissonance of the short and long term
The type of risk we most care about is long-term, what happens over years or decades, but we tend to manage that risk over short periods. This column...
Artificial Intelligence and Systemic Risk
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how the financial system is operated, taking over core functions because of cost savings and...
The hierarchy of financial policies
Financial policy is determined in multiple domains by separate government authorities. This column explores the hierarchical ranking of these domains...
Artificial intelligence, financial risk management and systemic risk
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how financial institutions are operated and regulated. The authors discuss the benefits and danger...
Brexit and systemic risk
Brexit is likely to cause considerable disruption for financial markets. Some worry that it may also increase systemic risk. This column revisits the...
Why macropru can end up being procyclical
Discretionary macroprudential policies aim to be countercyclical by adjusting risk-taking across the financial cycle. This column argues that the...
The fatal flaw in macropru: It ignores political risk
Political risk is a major cause of systemic financial risk. This column argues that both the integrity and the legitimacy of macroprudential policy...
Why it doesn't make sense to hold bonds
Investor demand for bonds is very high. This column argues that this is surprising because under almost any likely inflation scenario, including...
On the financial market consequences of Brexit
Brexit creates new opportunities and new risks for the British and EU financial markets. Both could benefit, but a more likely outcome is a fall in...
Cyber risk as systemic risk
The threat to the financial system posed by cyber risk is often claimed to be systemic. This column argues against this, pointing out that almost all...
