Crisis: Ending Too Big To Fail Policy Analysis

Great Essays
Over the past decade, the “too-big-to-fail policy” has caused a slow deterioration of the US financial system in many ways. This term was coined after the financial crisis of 2008, and is more formally known as the “problem in which regulators are reluctant to close down large financial institutions because doing so might precipitate a financial crisis (Mishkin p.218).” In this situation, the government issues guarantees of settlements of uninsured creditors to large financial institutions. The government does this so that neither the depositor nor the creditor incurs a loss. The transaction is done by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) and is completed through the purchase and assumption method. This phenomenon brings up many …show more content…
Mr. Kashkari presented a speech on February 16th, 2016, titled “Lessons from the Crisis: Ending Too Big to Fail”. In his speech, Mr. Kashkari discusses various takes on the too-big-to-fail policy, in which I believe his most vital claim is that he believes “the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy (www.minneapolisfed.org).” Mr. Kashkari also issues a warning that we cannot assume that policymakers will predict the next financial crisis. Just like the financial crisis of 2008, policymakers cannot predict the next crisis that will arise no matter how hard they try. Mr. Kashkari suggests three potential solutions that can mitigate the problem the financial system is having today. The first is to break up larger bank into smaller entities. The second is to force those banks to incur higher amounts of capital to make it so that it is less likely to fail. Finally, the third solution Mr. Kashkari offers is to tax leverage within the US financial system to reduce risk. These solutions offer great potential towards solving the issues of the too-big-to-fail policy and should be considered by the Federal Reserve to review and enact in the near …show more content…
Policymakers did not predict the latest financial crisis of 2008, and the likelihood of them predicting the next crisis is slim. For this reason, continuing to take steps to reduce the too-big-to-fail policy is vital for the US economy. Wall Street Journalist Greg Ip said it best in his article titled “’Too Big to Fail’ Critics Go to Far on Banks” when he claimed the ideal solution to the policy. He believed that large financial institutions should issue large amounts of equity to benefit businesses economies of scale. In his article he states, “U.S. banks are nearly there: Their equity capital equaled 12.5% of risk-adjusted assets in 2014, more than double the 5.5% of early 2009 (http://www.wsj.com).” This idea, along with the solutions mentioned previously, are all steps in the right direction the Federal Reserve can take in regards to mitigating the risk that the too-big-to-fail policy has. Regulators and policymakers must continue to work on reducing these risks, just as they did in 2010 with the Dodd-Frank Act, in hopes of avoiding another financial crisis that will harm the United States economy for a significant amount of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Glass-Steagail Act

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Pages

    In order to stop the spread of the Depression, the government took many actions. One of these actions was creating the Banking Act of 1933. This act was passed to deal with the inconsistent and often lax regulatory oversights and regulations applicable to financial institutions. The Banking Act also established a federal insurance guarantee for deposits up to $25,000 (now $250,000) on each account at either a state or national bank by establishing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). With the establishing of FDIC, citizens could feel safe keeping their money in the bank.…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dodd-Frank Act Summary

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The current legislation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act consists of multi-layered regulations for financial stability of institutions, consumer protection, oversight protocols, and liquidation authorities (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2017). Embedded in this lengthy reform act are conditions for transfers of power and amendment rights that basically give the authorized entities the empowerment to shape certain attributes of the financial system if it is found necessary to assure that misconduct or criminal actions are not being utilized on unwary consumers. The Dodd-Frank Act also retains authority over nonfinancial institutions, which is one of the main issues that have business owners in a frenzy to have portions of the Act abolished. In Section 172 of the Dodd-Frank Act this concept is realized through the Orderly Liquidation Purposes which specifies that nonfinancial institutions can be subject to examination by the authorized entities in the Dodd-Frank Act (U.S. Securites and Exchange Commission, 2017). In essence, nonfinancial institutions may be ordered to turn…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Great Depression DBQ

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The late 1920’s and 1930’s was a time of depression in America. This depression was caused by overproduction and America's sudden boom in the economy. America's rise in the economy led to Americans buying on margin for stocks and buying luxury items with credit. Eventually, the stock market crashed and people lost their life savings. Since they had no money they couldn’t pay back these luxury items and businesses failed.…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ralph Nadar Case

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    1. Why did Ralph Nadar predict in 1996 that financial deregulation would create banks who were "too big to fail"? Ralph Nader predict in the 1996 that financial deregulation would create banks to bring out their lobbyist from both side of the bank and securities industries trying to get a stable financial community to be prepared by getting a pre-packed deregulate legislation. They trying to figure out to gain opportunities to get a new deal for the bank reformation by taking out the consumer protection and regulation by bring out the lobbyist engineered passages to bring out a controversial bill to make it difficulties for the companies to sue the bank that allowed misleading claim.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The “too big to fail” theory states that main corporations, such as financial institutions, are so popular that failing, would cause a negativity factor to the greater economy. Governments need to step on the verge of failing. Eric Holder, an attorney, testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the size of large financial institutions has made it difficult for the Justice Department to bring criminal charges when they are suspected of crimes, because such charges can threaten the existence of a bank and therefore their interconnectedness may endanger the national or global economy. Richard Fisher, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President, brought to the table the idea of breaking larger banks into smaller…

    • 2068 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Next came the Emergency Banking Act, designed primarily to protect large banks from…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Dodd Frank Act

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    However, as congress deliberate it in finding forms to tight regulations and add protectionist to consumers. They come out with a resolution that would protect the economy from another financial disaster.…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Roaring Twenties Essay

    • 1567 Words
    • 7 Pages

    After World War I, the US came into an era known as the Roaring Twenties. During this time, many Americans dedicated their time to buying consumer goods such as cars, telephones, and radios. This in turn led to a period of great prosperity in the United States and Americans were more geared to letting loose and having fun. Americans had so much fun, they spent money they didn’t have. However, a large segment of the population did not get to share in the wealth as the gap between the rich and poor widened.…

    • 1567 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Hoover's Economic Reform

    • 1462 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Section A: Identification and Evaluation of Sources This investigation will explore the question: To what extent did Hoover’s actions help America’s economy to begin recovering from the Great Depression? How Hoover took certain measures to pull the United States back up from its big fall will be the focus of this investigation to allow for an analysis of the U.S economic status from the Great Depression up until the end of Hoover’s presidency. The first source which will be evaluated in depth is Ralph Gordon Hoxie’s “Hoover and the Banking Crisis” written during the Hoover presidential seminar on August 7, 1974.…

    • 1462 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The bankers have not made the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis about society but instead, they made it about their self-interests and left the rest of society to suffer. Financiers' self-interests turned disastrous because they weren't in line with the way the economy was headed.…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reagan was able to increase productivity growth in America, which although might seem like a minor effect, drastically impacted the country. Productivity growth was at 2.8% during the Carter administration, but increased quite profoundly to 4% during the Reagan era (England, 2009). Productivity increases in a country when more hours are worked and more product is produced by the workers per hour. The increase in productivity during Reagan’s presidency can likely be attributed to the decrease in income tax and addition of new jobs. As taxes decreased, there was an increased incentive for work.…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Andrew Jackson President Andrew Jackson barred the proposed bill re-chartering the Second Bank of United States in July 1832. He disputed that the bill, in the form with which it had been presented to him, was totally incompatible with sound policy and justice as well as the constitution. In the veto message, the President argued that the Bank’s license was completely unfair by virtue of the fact that it gave the bank extensive, almost monopolistic power in the market particularly in the markets that facilitated financial resources across the country and in other countries as well. Such market dominance amplified the banks profits and consequent stock price, “which operated as a gratuity of many million (of dollars) to the stakeholders,” who, President Jackson claimed, included majority of “foreigners” and “our own opulent” citizens. In his perspective, he recommended that, to be fairer to Americans, it was vital to develop or establish a bank that is wholly owned by the government or at least auction the monopoly privileges of the Second Bank of the US to the top bidder.…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The banking system seemed to be on the verge of collapse. This act was to prevent panic withdrawals of funds from banks by the public. This act was also called for the banks to close, be evaluated by the government, and to…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Great Depression was an extreme time of struggle for not only the economy of America, but also the American people of every race. The Great Depression took place from 1929- 1939. One of the main reasons of what led to the Great Depression was the crash of the stock market. The crash itself propelled and drove Wall Street workers straight into a major fear and nightmare that was thought and imagined to never come.…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Great Depression Norris Williams Mr. Jared David English III 10 March 2017 Outline Thesis Statement: The stock market crash of 1929 the contributed to the Great Depression of 1930 which cause economy to be poor. Introduction: In 1929 the the stock market crashed badly due to a market that was overbought, overvalued, and excessively bullish, rising even as economic conditions were not supporting the advance.…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays