TWO EXAMS

The bank regulator’s exam

1. Which type of bank clients can create such a massive exposure so as to generate a systemic bank crisis?

a. Those perceived as risky (small businesses and entrepreneurs)

b. Those perceived as not risky (triple-A rated)

2. The needs of which clients do we most expect our banks to attend to?

a. Those perceived as risky with no access to capital markets (small businesses and entrepreneurs)

b. Those perceived as not risky and with access to capital markets (triple-A rated)

The bank regulators, represented by those in the Basel Committee answered (a) to the first question, and totally ignored the second. As a consequence they imposed higher capital requirements on banks when lending to client “officially” perceived as riskier, and vice versa.

Our exam

1. How did the bank regulators do?

a. They failed miserably

b. They excelled!

2. If your answer is (a) but we are yet leaving our regulations in the hands of exactly the same regulators what does that say about us?

a. We’re stupid

b. We’re smart