Discussion paper

DP7819 Banking-on-the-Average Rules

In this paper, we introduce a new requirement for bank capital: banking-on-the-average rules. Under these rules a bank?s required level of equity capital is monotonically increasing in the realized equity capital of its peers. In a simple model we illustrate the workings of banking-on-the-average rules. We show that in booms these rules can prevent banks from taking excessive risks. Moreover, they alleviate the socially harmful procyclicality of conventional equity-capital rules, which may induce banks to cut back excessively on lending. Finally, we argue that under these rules prudent banks can impose prudency on other banks. In addition, banking-on-the-average rules ensure the build-up of bank equity capital in booms and thus avoid excessive leverage.

£6.00
Citation

Gersbach, H and V Hahn (2010), ‘DP7819 Banking-on-the-Average Rules‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 7819. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp7819