Banking

Banking

A world without banks was once impossible to imagine. As recently as 2007 banks were more powerful than they had ever been. But the 2008 financial crisis proved just how dangerous that power could be. Less then a decade later, new fines and regulations have severely curbed the influence of the world’s biggest banks. Low interest rates, meanwhile, have cut into banks’ profits even as advancements in digital currencies have threatened to disrupt the traditional banking model. Put simply, banks will soon play a much smaller role in the global economy.

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Supporters of the pro-EU movement Pulse of Europe wave EU flags as they gather in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on April 8.

Reflections Aug 22, 2018 | 22:08 GMTAug 22, 2018

In Europe, a Growing Push To Escape the Shadow of the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump's no-holds-barred approach to trade and sanctions has persuaded European leaders to redouble their efforts to stake out autonomy for the Continent.

A worker passes a bitcoin mining operation in Quebec in March 2018.

Assessments Mar 28, 2018 | 08:00 GMTMar 28, 2018

Why Central Banks Could Mint Their Own Digital Currency

Central banks the world over are taking a long, hard look at the exploding cryptocurrency market with an eye to rolling out new types of digital money that would have far-reaching ramifications.

A picture of U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Dec. 22, 2017, moments before signing tax reform legislation into law.

On Geopolitics Mar 20, 2018 | 09:00 GMTMar 20, 2018

How Tax Reform Will Net the U.S. Big Returns

Washington is rolling out tax measures that come just in time to help the United States benefit from changes in the global economy.

By Mark Fleming-Williams

Snapshots Feb 28, 2018 | 22:14 GMTFeb 28, 2018

Marshall Islands: Why the Island Nation Wants To Launch a Cryptocurrency

By creating its own virtual money, the small country hopes to reduce its economy's reliance on the dollar.

A wild few days on the New York Stock Exchange may signal the return of market volatility.

Reflections Feb 7, 2018 | 00:47 GMTFeb 7, 2018

After a Decade of Calm, Bigger Waves May Batter the Markets

As quantitative easing recedes and inflationary pressures rise, the volatility that was a normal facet of investing before the global financial crisis appears poised to return.

When Mario Dragui, seen through the lens of a television camera, steps down as the head of the European Central Bank in 2019, the odds-on favorite to replace him will be Germany's Jens Weidmann.

Assessments Dec 27, 2017 | 19:53 GMTDec 27, 2017

Dim Chances for a European Banking Union Breakthrough

The risk factors that have stalled the further integration of eurozone banks remain, as does Northern European resistance to pooling those risks.

Snapshots Dec 14, 2017 | 20:59 GMTDec 14, 2017

Global: 2018 Could Be a Painful Year for Central Banks

Recent events have shown that the connection between tightening U.S. monetary policy and tightening policy in fragile parts of the global economy still exists. As a result, economic pain expected in 2017 could arrive in 2018 instead.