How Covid forbearance gave banks a three trillion dollar boost

3 November 2020Banks, Risk CommentaryBasel rules, CECL, Covid-19, Dodd-Frank Act, investment banking, tradingNick Dunbar

To keep banks operating smoothly during the pandemic, regulators eased capital requirements and boosted trading profits by underpinning financial markets. Did they go too far?

Collins wedge pushes internal credit models towards irrelevance

2 November 2018BanksBasel rules, Dodd-Frank Act, Federal Reserve, JP Morgan, PNC Financial, Wells FargoNick Dunbar

The Collins amendment has become a binding capital constraint for the biggest US banks. Does this support the Fed’s argument for rolling back the advanced approaches provisions of Dodd-Frank?

The Taser and the choke lead: How the Fed restrains big banks

9 August 2016FinancialsCCAR, Dodd-Frank Act, Federal Reserve, JP Morgan, operational risk, operational RWAs, regulation, Stress testsNick Dunbar

Operational risk capital for US banks is the highest in the world but the Fed resists formally testing op risk in its stress tests. One reason might be that the Fed would have to explain why the charges need to be so high.