The future of American banking is in doubt and the industry and the federal insurance fund that helps support it are in turmoil. The ingredients of the turmoil have been simmering in public view since at least the early 1980s when commercial bank loans to lesser developed countries (LDCs) began to default. The difficulties began to boil at the end of the decade when the prospect first arose that the banks' deposit insurer, the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) that is administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), might require dollars to resolve bank failure as occurred in the savings and loan debacle. This book frames the major economic and policy issues raised by the banking crisis whose resolution largely determines the future of American banking. It focuses on the current reported condition of the banking industry, concentrating on large banks in particular. A longer-run economic prognosis for the banking industry is presented and the implications of future bank failures for the financial services sector and federal regulatory policy are discussed. Most importantly the book contains suggestions for changes in the nation's deposit-insurance system and accompanying banking laws. These changes would reduce the federal government's deposit insurance liability and would provide banks with potentially profitable opportunities. The study includes a wealth of data on the financial condition of American banks and the system as a whole, some of it not easily obtainable from any other source. The authors are internationally recognized as knowledgeable experts on the state of the American banking system and the options and prospects for US banking reform.

"Commercial banking in the United States today is on shakier ground than at any time since the Great Depression. Increased competition, deregulation, globalization, and a rising tide of bad loans have all cast doubt on how - or even whether - banks as we know them will survive through the 1990s and beyond." "How did this happen? Are we looking at another S&L-like debacle, or worse? What's the remedy?" "In these uncertain times, it's important to understand how the banking industry arrived at this point, what's being done about it, and what can be done. The Future of American Banking lends the clear perspective you need to make sense of it all. It is a story of rapid and surprising changes, illustrated through revealing profiles of four banking heavyweights with decidedly different approaches: Citicorp, Chase, Morgan, and Bankers Trust. It is also an inside look at the strategic and organizational problems these banks - and all U.S. banks - are currently facing, as well as a provocative glimpse at what the future holds." "And it's straight from the people in the know: The book is based on more than 350 exclusive interviews with senior bank officials, Wall Street bank analysts, management consultants, Congressional committee staff members, executive search professionals, regulators, and top financial journalists. With one eye on the many external factors that have shaped the contemporary banking industry, and the other on ample evidence of management missteps within the four banks themselves, David Rogers brings these key questions into sharp focus:" "Who have been the winners and losers among these and other U.S. commercial banks, and how might it have been different?" "Which strategies have paid off ... which have failed abysmally ... and which are likely to work in the future?" "How has each bank's particular culture, leadership, and history influenced where it is today?" "What larger lessons may other banks that are currently facing similar competitive pressures learn?" "What are the implications of these four banks' experiences for the banking industry as a whole, as it struggles to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century?" "Rather than just another commentary on an ailing industry, the Future of American Banking offers you an in-depth view of the nature and causes of the predicaments banking faces today. In spotlighting both the triumphs and failures of the past - and the rapid-fire developments of the present - this lively and thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone interested in what might happen in the future."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

An inside look at the role and future of central banking in the global economy The crash of 2008 revealed that the world's central banks had failed to offset the financial imbalances that led to the crisis, and lacked the tools to respond effectively. What lessons should central banks learn from the experience, and how, in a global financial system, should cooperation between them be enhanced? Banking on the Future provides a fascinating insider's look into how central banks have evolved and why they are critical to the functioning of market economies. The book asks whether, in light of the recent economic fallout, the central banking model needs radical reform. Supported by interviews with leading central bankers from around the world, and informed by the latest academic research, Banking on the Future considers such current issues as the place of asset prices and credit growth in anti-inflation policy, the appropriate role for central banks in banking supervision, the ways in which central banks provide liquidity to markets, the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of central banks, the culture and individuals working in these institutions, as well as the particular issues facing emerging markets and Islamic finance. Howard Davies and David Green set out detailed policy recommendations, including a reformulation of monetary policy, better metrics for financial stability, closer links with regulators, and a stronger emphasis on international cooperation. Exploring a crucial sector of the global economic system, Banking on the Future offers new ideas for restoring financial strength to the foundations of central banking.