Saturday, August 11, 2012

It’s the stupid bank regulations stupid!

Those perceived as “not risky”, they have always paid lower interest rates, gotten larger loans, on softer terms, and attracted that type of large bank exposures that has caused all major bank crises, when some of them turn out to be very-risky. And so why, Mr. Bright Bank Regulator, do you allow the banks to hold less capital when lending to the “not risky”? That way the "not risky" get even lower interest, even larger loans, on even softer terms and we risk an even major systemic crisis, when some of these “not-risky”, like the triple-A rated securities, the infallible sovereigns like Greece, Icelandic banks, Spanish real estate borrowers and what awaits us, turn out to be very risky. Why are you so chummy with the dangerous not-risky, are you stupid? 

Those perceived as “risky”, like the small businesses and entrepreneurs, they have always paid higher interest rates, gotten smaller loans, on harsher terms, and never ever caused a major bank crisis. And so why, Mr. Bright Bank Regulator, do you require the banks to hold more capital when lending to the “risky” than when to the “not risky”, and so that the "risky" get charged even higher interests, get even smaller loans, on ever hasher terms, and so have even less chance of helping us to generate the growth and job opportunities we need, and, like now, help us out of the crisis generated by some “not-risky” ex-ante, turning very-risky, ex-post. Why do you treat the useful risky so bad, are you stupid? 

Mr. Bright Bank Regulator, if you absolutely must mess around with market signals, so you feel you have earned your salary, then why do you not at least base the capital requirements for banks on job creation and environmental sustainability ratings. That way these would at least serve a purpose.