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Pettis on Strains in China's Banking System; Avoiding the Fall

MishTalk

The interest rate burden on Chinese businesses and state-related entities has certainly been much higher in 2014 than it was for most of this century. While the benchmark deposit rate was officially lowered from 3.00% to 2.75%, the upper limit that banks can pay for deposits remained unchanged at 3.30%.

Banking 71
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Swiss Bank Hits Customers With Negative Interest Rates; Crazy? What About Velocity?

MishTalk

With its balance sheet totalling nearly 1.6 The ECB became the first major central bank to venture below zero in June 2014, and it now charges banks 0.2 and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said he could now cut the benchmark rate below the current 0.5 percent to hold their cash overnight. percent if necessary.

Banking 28
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Reflections on 2013; What's Important, What's Not? What's Ahead?

MishTalk

Had I suggested in 2007 that the Fed balance sheet expansion of $75 billion a month would have been considered "tightening" people would have thought I was nuts. Expect more on this in 2014. Will it happen in 2014? At long last, the Fed has finally started to taper. Here we are. It is a critical issue. The broad U.S.