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This Selected Issues paper analyzes the current state of housing finance in the United States. Although a number of important steps have been taken to address the structural weaknesses exposed by the crisis in mortgage markets, comprehensive housing finance reform remains the largest piece of unfinished business. Mortgage markets, even eight years after the start of the crisis, continue to function with extensive government support. Reform of the government-sponsored enterprises, which remain in conservatorship, has stalled—generating uncertainty and complicating other policy initiatives. However, there has been progress in building other components for a well-functioning housing finance system.

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance on the Insurance Core Principles on South Africa. Insurance regulatory and supervisory regime in South Africa is in transition. Currently, the Financial Services Board (FSB-SA) regulates the nonbanking financial services industry, including the insurance sector, in South Africa. With the goal of achieving a safer financial sector to serve South Africa better, the government has proposed major changes in the financial sector. The four policy objectives are: financial stability, consumer protection and market conduct, financial inclusion, and combating financial crime. Market realities in the insurance sector pose significant regulatory challenges, which are well recognized by the authorities.

This paper discusses findings of the Detailed Assessment of Implementation on the IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation in South Africa. Although South Africa’s level of implementation of the IOSCO principles is complete in several areas, there is room for enhancement. The legal framework is robust and provides the authorities with broad supervisory, investigative, and enforcement powers. There are arrangements for on-site and off-site monitoring of regulated entities. The powers to cooperate with domestic and foreign counterparts are extensive. Accounting and auditing standards are high, as is the disclosure regime that applies to listed companies in practice.

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Implementation of the IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation on the United States. The United States has large, well-developed, and complex securities and derivatives markets. Postcrisis, the legal mandates of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have significantly expanded. The level of funding of both the SEC and CFTC is a key challenge affecting their ability to deliver on their mandates in a way that provides confidence to markets and investors. The fragmented structure of equity markets remains a key challenge for the SEC.

This paper presents an assessment IMF report on implementation of the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) principles in Canada. It highlights that developing an integrated and robust view of risks to support supervisory actions remains a key challenge. The IMF report suggests that the securities regulators should continue to take steps to ensure timely decision making in policy formulation. However, the current governance arrangements, based on a consensus building approach across several entities, is expected to affect timeliness of decision making.

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems–International Organization of Securities Commissions Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures(FMIs) in Singapore. Singapore has a well-developed payment, clearing, and settlement infrastructure, which includes two central counterparties for financial products. The infrastructure includes a large value payment system operated by the central bank and securities and derivatives clearing and settlement systems operated by the Singapore Exchange Limited. The FMIs in Singapore are subject to effective regulation, supervision, and oversight of the Monetary Authority Singapore (MAS). The legal framework provides the MAS with sufficient powers to obtain timely information and induce change.

This paper discusses the findings of the Detailed Assessment of Implementation on the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation on Singapore. Overall compliance with IOSCO principles is generally high, although the assessors identified some vulnerabilities that need to be resolved. The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) enforcement philosophy as regards securities markets and the financial intermediaries active therein is cogent, with outcomes focused and well developed. The Securities and Futures Act (Cap. 289) provides an effective framework to enable the sharing of information and cooperation between MAS and foreign regulators on supervisory and enforcement matters.

The Belgian securities market and financial services markets have remained subdued since the crisis, and significant changes have taken place in regulatory architecture in response. The execution requires both the resources and the same strong focus on driving key outcomes. Concerns also remain about the risk of regulatory arbitrage arising from differences in regulatory and supervisory approaches between the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) and the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). Efforts to solidify cooperation and integration of work between the NBB and the FSMA should continue along with investor education work.

This paper discusses the main findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems–International Organization of Securities Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (FMIs) for the European Union. Euroclear Bank’s risk framework is generally sound. Euroclear Bank should become operationally ready to fully implement plans for recovery and the orderly winding-down of operations. In anticipation of the emerging international regulatory standards and frameworks on recovery and resolution of FMIs, Euroclear Bank has developed recovery plans and plans for the orderly winding down of its operations. Important risk measures have been taken to reduce credit risk, but further improvements are needed to comply with the international standards.

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of LCH.Clearnet SA Observance of the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems/International Organization of Securities Commission (CPSS–IOSCO) Recommendations for Central Counterparties. The findings reveal that LCH.Clearnet SA displays a high level of observance of the CPSS/IOSCO recommendations. It has a sound, coherent, and transparent legal basis. It has developed an adequate risk-management framework to address financial and operational risks. LCH.Clearnet SA governance arrangements and composition of Boards and management are well defined and adequately staffed.

This paper discusses findings of the Report on Observance of Standards and Codes on Singapore. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) shows a very high level of compliance with the Basel Core Principles and demonstrates a strong commitment by MAS to their implementation. As a large financial center, MAS is well aware of the risks posed by a financial system that is significantly larger than the economy of Singapore, and comprised primarily of branches of foreign institutions operating in non-Singapore dollars. MAS has also set a high standard for approving foreign entrants, applying the same prudential framework to foreign branches as to its own locally incorporated banks.

An update on Saudi Arabia’s Financial System Stability Assessment (FSAP) is presented. Saudi Arabia has confronted the global financial crisis from a position of strength, and took decisive steps to manage the impact of the crisis. As a result, the financial system has weathered the crisis relatively well. The authorities have made progress implementing the recommendations of the 2004 FSAP. Many improvements have been made to bank and securities supervision. The banking sector as a whole is well capitalized and appears to be able to withstand severe temporary shocks.

The Australian legal and regulatory framework for securities markets exhibits a high level of compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Principles. A few remaining concerns need to be resolved, including some identified in the 2006 assessment. Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) operational independence and sufficiency of resources are overarching concerns which impair its ability to discharge its supervisory functions adequately and effectively across the entire regulated population.

Saudi Arabia’s Report on Standards and Codes has been examined. The Capital Market Authority (CMA) has made significant progress in establishing its supervision credentials, including issuing implementing regulations. The CMA approach to supervision is both risk-based and compliance-focused, and the cost of compliance needs to be a more central focus when establishing mandatory obligations. The CMA has general and broad powers for inspection and investigation, and it conducts full electronic surveillance of the market. The CMA has the authority to investigate potential violations and to bring enforcement action seeking civil and criminal penalties.

This report analyzes the functioning of the legal and regulatory framework for the securities market in Japan. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) enjoyed specific powers with respect to the various security laws and regulations laid down by the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO). The FSA has been authorized to bring about certain changes, to implement new principles, and to develop new frameworks to ensure and strengthen the smooth functioning of supervision and investigation. It is also necessary to identify and assess risks to determine FSA intervention.

The European Union’s (EU) financial stability framework is being markedly strengthened. This is taking place on the heels of a severe financial crisis owing to weaknesses in the banking system interrelated with sovereign difficulties in the euro area periphery. Important progress has been made in designing an institutional framework to secure microeconomic and macroprudential supervision at the EU level, but this new set-up faces a number of challenges. Developments regarding the financial stability may assist in the continuing evolution of the European financial stability architecture.

This paper is a detailed assessment of NOMX DM, undertaken in the context of the IMF Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) Update for Sweden in 2011. NOMX DM, the only Central Counter-parties (CCP) in Sweden, has provided clearing services for equity, fixed income derivatives, and repo transactions since 2010. Even though NOMX DM has a comprehensive risk management framework, relevant points were brought up in the assessment related to governance and risk management. Swedish authorities have taken necessary measures to improve the system.

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

The Netherlands Authority for Financial Markets (AFM) has developed a robust supervisory framework, which exhibits high levels of implementation of the International Organization of Securities Commissions Principles. The AFM’s efforts are complemented by The NetherlandsCentral bank's (DNB) program of prudential supervision, which is reasonable and credible. Gaps in the legal framework for issuers, and on management of collective investment schemes, in the case of the DNB, have imposed limitations. Their ability to react in a swift manner to emerging risks in the financial sector is limited.

This Detailed Assessment Report reviews antimoney laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures for Germany. The report reveals that Germany has introduced a number of measures in recent years to strengthen its AML/CFT regime. Germany has generated a relatively large number of prosecutions for money laundering and orders to confiscate assets. These achievements occurred even though Germany has shortcomings identified in this assessment against the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 + 9 Recommendations. There are also weaknesses in the legal framework and in sanctioning for noncompliance with AML/CFT requirements.

Cape Verde has demonstrated notable economic and policy resilience. The public investment program should be completed, but new external borrowing should be limited to restore fiscal buffers. The monetary policy framework could be improved in the medium term. The Bank of Cape Verde should step up efforts to safeguard the financial system and to develop the government securities market. Improving economic and financial statistics to facilitate better monitoring and analysis of developments to guide policy formulation is needed in Cape Verde.

In a previous assessment, it was concluded that the British Virgin Islands (BVI) regulatory system governing securities markets functioned well overall, but required improvement in certain areas. Those areas are implemented with regulatory code, Securities and Investment Business Act (SIBA), related regulations, and the public funds code. The standards and eligibility of those who wish to manage or administer a mutual fund are determined by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) under the authority granted by statute. A mutual fund can be organized as a corporation, unit trust, or partnership.

This paper discusses key findings of the financial sector stability assessment for Romania. The assessment reveals that in recent years, Romania’s financial sector regulatory authorities have made significant progress in adopting international best practices, including through transposition of European Union directives, as well as through implementation of many of the recommendations of the 2003 Financial Sector Assessment Program. In the current circumstances, a number of measures to strengthen the crisis management and safety net framework are recommended.

South Africa has made substantial progress in addressing the recommendations of the Financial Sector Assessment Program and is continuing to build upon these accomplishments. The Financial Services Board and Department of Trade and Industry both are organizations with the legal authority to regulate and supervise these steps. The South African system of financial services regulation is complex, involving multiple government agencies, several advisory or oversight committees, and several self-regulatory organizations. While all areas of responsibility appear to be covered, there may be gaps in the implementation of duties.

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of the National Securities Clearing Corporation’s (NSCC) Observance of the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems/International Organization of Securities Commissions (CPSS–IOSCO) Recommendations for Central Counterparties (CCP) for the United States. The assessment recommends that a CCP should have a well-founded, clear, and transparent legal basis in the relevant jurisdictions. A CCP should require participants to have sufficient financial resources and robust operational capacity to meet obligations arising from participation in the CCP.

This technical note focuses on fixed income markets for Thailand. The note recommends that Thailand should begin an orderly transition from merit-based regulation of corporate issuers and institutional investors to a disclosure-based regulatory system that opens the debt market to a larger and more diverse pool of corporations. A series of regulatory changes should be considered, including removing the limitations on below investment grade debt offerings, expanding the size of private placement offerings, and reducing the regulatory burdens on issuers of short-term commercial paper.

This paper discusses findings of the assessment of Financial Sector Supervision and Regulation on the Cayman Islands. The assessment reveals that substantial progress has been made in the implementation of the 2003 Offshore Financial Center assessment recommendations, including, importantly, regarding Cayman Islands Monetary Authority’s independence and resources. There is scope for enhancing regulatory reporting and disclosure requirements by financial entities, such as shortening the period for filing required documents and requiring all insurers to disclose their use of derivatives and similar commitments regularly.

The purpose of this lecture is to look beyond the complex events that characterize the global financial and economic crisis, identify the basic mechanisms, and infer the policies needed to resolve the current crisis, as well as the policies needed to reduce the probability of similar events in the future.

This technical note presents factual update of International Organization of Securities Commissions Core Principles of Securities Regulation for Cyprus. There is provision in the law allowing for the sharing of information and cooperation with both domestic and foreign regulators. The Cyprus law transposing the European Union Prospectus and Transparency Directives, together with the company law and stock exchange law, provide accurate and timely disclosure of financial results and adequate safeguards in the fair and equitable treatment of shareholders.

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that the U.S. economy has experienced the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In the second half of 2008, financial pressures intensified and came to a head with the failure of Lehman Brothers in September. Executive Directors have commended the authorities’ forceful and internationally coordinated actions to stabilize and repair the financial sector. As a result of their increasingly strong and comprehensive policy measures, the sharp fall in economic output seems to be ending, and confidence in financial stability has strengthened.

This paper presents key findings of the detailed assessment on the implementation of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) objectives and principles of securities regulation for Thailand. The assessment recommends creating a formal coordination mechanism among governmental agencies with regulatory authority over capital markets. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should amend its code of conduct and provide that restrictions on securities investments by its staff also applies to spouses, minor children, and all other accounts over which an employee has the authority to make investment decisions.

This paper discusses the assessment of observance of Thailand Securities Depository (TSD) of the Committee of Payments and Settlement Systems (CPSS)/International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) recommendations for securities settlement systems for Thailand. On the basis of the assessment, it is recommended that securities settlement systems should have a well-founded, clear, and transparent legal basis in the relevant jurisdiction. Confirmation of trades between market participants should occur as soon as possible after trade execution, but no later than the trade date (T+0).

The regulatory framework for the securities market of Canada exhibits high levels of implementation of the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) Principles. The regulatory framework for most of the areas covered by securities regulation is robust. The general preconditions necessary for the effective regulation of securities markets appear to be in place in Canada. Nevertheless, there are gaps in the regulation and supervision of collective investment schemes (CIS), and enforcement is in need of further improvement, in terms of efficient use of resources.

This Technical Note reviews the International Organization of Securities Commissions’s (IOSCO) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation for Monaco. It reveals that overall, there has been progress in implementing the Offshore Financial Center assessment recommendations in most areas of securities regulation, but more needs to be done on key topics. In granting a license to conduct investment activities, the Commission de Contrôle des Activités Financières (Financial Activity Supervisory Commission) considers the professional qualifications of individuals, the company’s systems and controls, and its sources of capital.

This paper reviews the Mexican experience with the securitization of residential mortgages. It highlights the key legislative and institutional reforms leading to the development of primary and secondary mortgage markets and reports the main features and valuation practices of the RMBS markets. The paper identifies areas warranting close attention to improve the outlook for the Mexican RMBS market and draws some lessons from the recent U.S. subprime mortgage market problems.

This paper consolidates previous work on the development of secondary markets for government securities, and focuses on the sequencing of measures necessary for their development. Six main lessons are identified: (i) a commitment to achieving and maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment, especially prudent fiscal policy, should underpin market development; (ii) a sound and transparent public debt management strategy supports secondary market activity; (iii) a deep and diverse investor base is required; (iv) poor market infrastructure leads to high transaction costs, slow order execution, and excessive operational risk, which all inhibit trading; (v) secondary market growth is facilitated by effective monetary policy implementation; and (vi) reforms should be sequenced to ensure even development of all the structures supporting the secondary market.

This technical note focuses on the International Organization of Securities Commissions objectives and principles of securities regulations of Austria. The 2003 assessment found that Austria had fully broadly implemented a large majority of principles. The human resources of the Securities Supervision Department of the Financial Market Authority (FMA) should be increased, especially to conduct on-site inspections, in addition to the 14 planned appointments. Administrative fines should be raised further to levels elsewhere in Europe.

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of the Securities Clearance and Settlement Systems for Denmark. The assessment recommends that securities settlement systems should have a well-founded, clear, and transparent legal basis in the relevant jurisdiction. Confirmation of trades between market participants should occur as soon as possible after trade execution, but no later than trade date (T+0). Where confirmation of trades by indirect market participants is required, it should occur as soon as possible after trade execution, preferably on T+0, but no later than T+1.

This paper reviews macroeconomic aspects of pension reforms in Latin America, focusing on financial market stability and fiscal sustainability. Concentration of pension fund portfolios in government bonds remains high, and the lack of new investment alternatives has distorted asset prices. Countries have gradually liberalized investments abroad, but remain wary of the impact on foreign currency markets. The fiscal costs of the transition to funded systems have been higher than expected, and have contributed to high debt levels. The paper highlights the importance of coordinating changes in portfolio limits with debt management policies and measures to develop securities markets.

This report reviews the macroeconomic determinants of the rapid growth in the Spanish housing market, including various policy elements. It examines the vulnerabilities of households' finances as a result of the rapid growth of housing prices and mortgage debt. It also describes the Spanish mortgage market and assesses the resilience of the financial sector to a possible adjustment in the housing and mortgage markets. It presents a market-based indicator to show the market views on the quality of the mortgage portfolio and also provides recommendations.

This paper reviews a number of different techniques for estimating default probabilities from the prices of publicly traded securities. These techniques are useful for assessing credit exposure, systemic risk, and stress testing financial systems. The choice of techniques was guided by their ease of implementation and their applicability to a wide cross-section of countries and markets. Simple one-period cases are studied to sharpen the reader's intuition, and the usefulness of each technique for enhancing financial surveillance is illustrated with real applications.

This Selected Issues paper analyzes the impact of Mexico’s energy reform on hydrocarbons production. These reforms aim to increase oil and gas production by eliminating the state oil company’s (PEMEX) monopoly on exploration and production of hydrocarbons, while retaining the prime directive that these resources are the property of the Mexican nation. This paper focuses on the nature of reforms and what problems these reforms are addressing. It presents illustrative production scenarios for crude oil and natural gas and estimates the commensurate investment costs and foreign direct investment associated with each scenario. The paper also examines the markets for the distribution of natural gas and electricity.

Recent regulatory initiatives in the United States have again raised the issue of a 'level regulatory and supervisory playing field' and the degree of competition globally between over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives and organized derivative exchange (ODE) markets. This paper models some important aspects of how an ODE market interrelates with the OTC markets. It analyzes various ways in which an ODE market can respond to competition from the OTC markets and considers whether ODE markets would actually benefit from a more level playing field. Among other factors, such as different transaction costs, different abilities to mitigate credit risk play a significant role in determining the degree of competition between the two types of markets. This implies that a potentially important service ODE markets can provide OTC market participants is to extend clearing services to them. Such services would allow the OTC markets to focus more on providing less competitive contracts/innovations and instead customize its contracts to specific investors' risk preferences and needs.

This Selected Issues paper assesses the youth unemployment problem in advanced European economies, especially the euro area. Youth unemployment rates increased sharply in the euro area after the crisis. Much of these increases can be explained by output dynamics and the greater sensitivity of youth unemployment to economic activity compared with adult unemployment. Labor market institutions also play an important role, especially the tax wedge, minimum wages, and spending on active labor market policies. The paper highlights that policies to address youth unemployment should be comprehensive and country specific, focusing on reviving growth and implementing structural reforms.

This paper applies the “market microstructure” literature to the specific features of government securities markets and draws implications for the strategy to develop government securities markets. It argues for an active role of the authorities in fostering the development of efficient market structures.