Banking

Vol. 24, No. 3,
Third Quarter 2011

Articles

Fed Chair Addresses Financial Crisis Research

Fed Gov. Duke Discusses Housing Market Remedies

Fed Chair Addresses U.S. Economic Prospects

Bank Regulators Testify Before Congress

New Book Examines Social Networks, Communities

Quality of Banks' Large Loans Improving

Loan Officers Survey Describes Lending Conditions

Atlanta Fed Chief Discusses Outlook

Fed Chairman Discusses Monetary Policy to Congress

Economist Discusses Pros, Cons of Data Collecting

Interest Payments on Some Deposits Approved

Federal Reserve Holding Series of Meetings

Departments

Financial Update Focus

Editor's Note: This publication is posted on a rolling schedule and content will be added throughout the quarter.

Updated September 28, 2011

"ViewPoint" shines spotlight on interest rate risk, commercial real estate

9/26/2011 - "ViewPoint," from the Atlanta Fed's supervision and regulation division, presents current data about banks and banking conditions in the Southeast and nationally. This quarter's edition spotlights commercial real estate and interest rate yields.

Fed Chair Bernanke: Research into Financial Crisis Essential

9/23/2011 - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently addressed the importance of research into the causes of the recent financial crisis and on systemic risk more broadly. Given regulators' mandate to take a macroprudential approach to financial regulation, the Fed chair said developing directions for future research is essential.

Fed Gov. Duke Discusses Steps to Rebalance Housing Market

9/23/2011 - Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth Duke recently discussed ways to restore balance to the nation's housing market. Her suggestions included helping borrowers obtain lower-interest mortgages and converting foreclosed properties into rentals.

Fed Chairman Bernanke: Recession, Financial Crisis Won't Leave Major Scars on U.S. Economy
8/31/2011 - Slow economic growth has raised concerns about the U.S. economy's long-term growth prospects, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke recently noted. Growth coming out of the recession has been slow, he said, partly because of the downturn's global nature and the fact that it was accompanied by a financial crisis and housing slump.

Banking Agencies Urge Responsible Lending
8/31/2011 - Lending by community banks must be done in a way that avoids past mistakes and does not create new ones, according to congressional testimony by bank supervision and regulation officials, who also discussed recent community bank performance.

Harnessing the Power of Social Networks to Rebuild Communities
8/31/2011 - Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, strong community ties played a critical role in the rebuilding process. A new book with content by Atlanta Fed staff explores the important role of social networks in the rebuilding of two Gulf Coast communities.

Podcast on social networks and rebuilding communities (MP3 20:00)

Credit Quality of Large Loan Commitments Improves
8/31/2011 - Credit quality for large loans that domestic and foreign banks as well as nonbanks were committed to make in 2011 continues to improve, according to the Shared National Credits Review. Loans deemed questionable by regulators declined more than 28 percent in 2011.

Lending Conditions Ease Slightly, Says Fed Survey
8/30/2011 - Banks reported easing credit standards and terms on nearly all types of business and consumer loans in recent months, according to the Federal Reserve's most recent Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey. It indicated that while consumer credit is loosening, real estate credit remains tight.

photo of Atlanta Fed Chair Dennis Lockhart

Atlanta Fed's Lockhart: Market Swings Could Affect Consumer Spending
8/30/2011 - In a recent speech, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart discussed how swings in equity markets could affect consumer spending and thus the overall economy. Fragile consumer psychology could be a victim of market volatility, he said.

Fed Chairman Bernanke Discusses Outlook, Deficit to Congress
7/28/2011 - During his recent monetary policy address to Congress, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke discussed the modest pace of economic recovery. He expects the second half of 2011 to demonstrate stronger growth, noting that consumer spending will determine much of the near-term pace of recovery.

Data Breaches and Risk Management in Emerging Payments: An Economist's View
7/27/2011 - Advances in technology have enabled companies to collect and share massive amounts of personal data from individuals and companies. An Atlanta Fed economist discusses the advantages of such data collection as well as the potential pitfalls and steps that can be taken to prevent fraud.

Podcast on data security and identity theft
Transcript

Federal Reserve Approves Rule Allowing Banks to Pay Interest on Demand-Deposit Accounts
7/21/2011 - Beginning July 21, financial institutions that are members of the Federal Reserve System are able to pay interest on demand deposits. The change is a result of a final rule approved by the Federal Reserve Board.

Federal Reserve Summarizes Meetings to Discuss Regulatory Reform
7/21/2011 - The Federal Reserve Board has held a series of meetings intended to allow the Board to gather information and help educate the public on matters subject to agency rule making and contribute to an informed rule-making process.