December 19, 2007

Beware of bank regulators acting like gods

Sir John Plender asks what is the right level of capital for today´s financial world, “Investors pray for acts of God but even they come at a cost” December 19. His question contains its own answer. Since it is in fact impossible to calculate the right capital then the best thing would be to be humble about it and require one single capital requirement for all assets, instead of arrogantly trying to outwit the market as the regulators did when they created their current minimum capital requirements that differentiates based on how risks are perceived, primarily by the credit rating agencies.

It is when the bank regulators themselves start acting like God that they really set us up for the big systemic disasters.