Member Views

If Only We Knew the Problems Facing America's Banks

The Bretton Woods Committee is pleased to Member Spotlight BWC Chair Bill Dudley's recent opinion column with Bloomberg urging for "some well-placed transparency" in the US financial system.

According to Dudley, "The US has yet to fully address one of the greatest weaknesses revealed by last year’s failure of Silicon Valley Bank and other regional lenders: Supervisors saw the problems, but they failed to compel action before it was too late."

IFI’s as Game Changers for a new Economy

By: Herman Mulder, Former ABN AMRO Bank; co-initiator of the 2003 Equator Principles; Chair True Price, Impact Economy Foundation; Chair SDG Netherlands.

IMF annual meetings reflected global gloominess

The annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank wrapped up on 16 October. Washington DC’s economy is richer for it. Its citizens are relieved the extreme traffic mess – even by DC standards – has abated. Thousands of delegates packed into innumerable meetings, seeing each other face-to-face often for the first time in years. Gloomy views were reinforced, while DC’s liquor stocks were drawn down. Whether much was learned is a different matter.

IMF enhancing efforts in Latin America

While the world focuses on the US and China, Britain's exit from the European Union, G3 monetary policy and Europe's doldrums, little attention is being paid to economic and financial developments in Latin America.

IMF Right to Spend Liberally

Debt moratorium a critical step forward
A week of virtual international meetings – G7 and G20 finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund’s international monetary and financial committee – has just wrapped up.

IMF Shifts Approach to Low Income Countries and Special Drawing Rights

Fanfare exceeds reality

Before its summer recess, the International Monetary Fund board tackled two key operational issues – future concessional support for low income countries and ‘channelling’ special drawing rights.

In Conversation: Prof Lutfey Siddiqi on Banking and Capital Markets

The Bretton Woods Committee is please to Member Spotlight the video interview 'In Conversation: Prof Lutfey Siddiqi on Banking and Capital Markets' in which Siddiqi provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between risks and the ongoing global transformations.

In Defence of the IMF

"It is precisely at a time of deep divisions that a multilateral convening place is needed badly. With its 190 member countries, the IMF serves that purpose. Its members today are asking more from the institution, not less." - BWC vice-chair John Lipsky

Inflation in the 21st Century: Taking Down the Inflationary Straw Man of the 1970s

This overview of the history of, and future prospects for, undesirable levels of price inflation in the U.S. economy concludes that concerns raised in 2021 by several well-known economists and analysts – regarding the prospects for accelerating levels of inflation as a result of pandemic-era and post-pandemic fiscal and monetary policy (enacted and proposed) – is misplaced.

Inflation, Money Supply and Spiraling Expectations

John Greenwood and Steve Hanke’s contention that excessive monetary growth is the cause of recent high inflation doesn’t hold water (“The Monetary Bathtub Is Overflowing,” op-ed, Oct. 22). Behind the 35.7% increase in M2 money supply that they cite—and attribute mainly to the Federal Reserve—lies $5.5 trillion of net spending power injected by the federal government. This was to offset the biggest short-term hit to aggregate demand in U.S. history.