Posts by IMFBlog | IMF Blog

Estimating Cyber Risk for the Financial Sector

June 22, 2018

Versions in عربي, 中文, Français , Русский

Average annual losses to financial institutions from cyber-attacks could reach a few hundred billion dollars a year (photo: Eti Ammos/iStock by Getty Images)

Cyber risk has emerged as a significant threat to the financial system. An IMF staff modeling exercise estimates that average annual losses to financial institutions from cyber-attacks could reach a few hundred billion dollars a year, eroding bank profits and potentially threatening financial stability. Continue reading “Estimating Cyber Risk for the Financial Sector” »

By IMFBlog| June 22nd, 2018|Advanced Economies, banking, capital markets, Economic research, Financial markets, technology|

How the Commodity Boom Helped Tackle Poverty and Inequality in Latin America

By Ravi Balakrishnan and Frederik Toscani

June 21, 2018

Español Português

People buying produce in a busy market in Bahia, Brazil. During the commodity boom, Brazil saw significant reductions in poverty and inequality (photo: golero/iStock by Getty Images)

Latin America may be the most unequal region in the world, but it is the only region to significantly lower inequality over the past two decades, and the boom in commodity prices helped make it happen. Continue reading “How the Commodity Boom Helped Tackle Poverty and Inequality in Latin America” »

By IMFBlog| June 21st, 2018|Advanced Economies, education, Emerging Markets, inclusive growth, Inequality, Investment, Latin America, Poverty, taxation, wages|

From Shadows to Sunlight, Paraguay’s Road to Transparency

By IMFBlog

June 15, 2018

Lea Giménez Duarte, Paraguay’s Finance Minister speaking at IMF World-Bank Spring meetings seminar Restoring Trust by Curbing Corruption (photo: IMF)

Current Paraguayan Finance Minister Lea Giménez Duarte knows first-hand that transparency pays off. In this podcast, Duarte says the changes began after the government passed a transparency law in 2014. Continue reading “From Shadows to Sunlight, Paraguay’s Road to Transparency” »

By IMFBlog| June 15th, 2018|corruption, Latin America, Low-income countries, Spring Meetings|

Chart of the Week: Japan’s Robots

By IMFBlog

June 12, 2018

Version in 中文, 日本語

A Panasonic robot moves around the lounge of Tokyo's Narita International Airport (photo: Yoshio Tsunoda/AAFLO/Alamy Live News)

As Japan’s population ages and the birth rate is too low to sustain growth, the country is no stranger to coping with a limited number of working age people. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Japan’s Robots” »

By IMFBlog| June 12th, 2018|Advanced Economies, commodities, Economic research, Japan, technology|

An Imbalance in Global Banks’ Dollar Funding

By John Caparusso, Yingyuan Chen, Hideo Hashimoto, David Jones, Will Kerry and Aki Yokoyama

June 12, 2018

Versions in Español, Deutsche, Français, 日本語, Português

The US Treasury is issuing more T-bills, potentially putting upward pressure on the interest rates non-US banks must pay for short-term dollar funding (photo: Jennifer Hack/KRT/Newscom)

For companies and investors outside the United States, the dollar is often the currency of choice. Surprisingly, though, US banks play only a limited role in lending dollars to international borrowers. Most of the $7 trillion in banks’ dollar lending outside the United States is handled by banks based in Europe, Japan and elsewhere. Continue reading “An Imbalance in Global Banks’ Dollar Funding” »

By IMFBlog| June 12th, 2018|Advanced Economies, banking, currency, Europe, U.S.|

5 Things You Need to Know About the IMF and Climate Change

By Ian Parry

June 8, 2018

Versions in عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

A polar bear on shrinking ice in the Arctic: climate change means the world is getting hotter (photo: Sven-Erik Arndt/Newscom)

The world is getting hotter, resulting in rising sea levels, more extreme weather like hurricanes, droughts, and floods, as well as other risks to the global climate like the irreversible collapsing of ice sheets. Continue reading “5 Things You Need to Know About the IMF and Climate Change” »

By IMFBlog| June 8th, 2018|Advanced Economies, climate change, developing countries, Emerging Markets, Europe, Fiscal policy, G-20, Global Governance, India, International Monetary Fund, Low-income countries, natural disasters, Oil|

Chart of the Week: The Rise of Corporate Giants

By Federico J. Díez and Daniel Leigh

June 6, 2018

Versions in 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

The market power of “superstar” companies in advanced economies is growing (photo: iStock by Getty Images)

The growing economic wealth and power of big companies—from airlines to pharmaceuticals to high-tech companies—has raised concerns about too much concentration and market power in the hands of too few. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: The Rise of Corporate Giants” »

By IMFBlog| June 6th, 2018|Advanced Economies, capital markets, commodities, Corporate Risk, Economic research, technology|

Chart of the Week: Distribution of Globalization’s Gains

By IMFBlog

May 31, 2018

A garment factory in Ethiopia, which globalization has helped to boost its growth (photo: Kay Neitfeld/Newscom).

While globalization is generally good for economic growth, the benefits are subject to diminishing marginal returns, according to a recent study of 147 countries from 1970 to 2014. The study looks at how globalization affects the distribution of incomes across and within countries. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Distribution of Globalization’s Gains” »

By IMFBlog| May 31st, 2018|Advanced Economies, China, developing countries, Emerging Markets, Globalization, Government, inclusive growth, India, Inequality, U.S.|

Our Digital Future

By Camilla Lund Andersen

May 30, 2018

“Money makes the world go around,” Liza Minnelli famously sang in the movie Cabaret. Money has for centuries been central to human relationships. Loss of faith in its value can result in economic and political instability, even war. In the past few years, financial technology—fintech for short—has caught the world’s imagination by offering alternatives to traditional means of payment. Will digitalization redefine money? In this issue, we explore the possible consequences, good and bad. Continue reading “Our Digital Future” »

By IMFBlog| May 30th, 2018|Advanced Economies, Asia, banking, capital flows, capital markets, credit, currency, Economic outlook, Emerging Markets, euro zone, Europe, Europe's currency union, Finance, Financial markets, financial policy, Financial regulation, Financing, Government, income, Uncategorized|

Creating a Better Global Trade System

By Christine Lagarde

May 29, 2018

Versions in عربي , 中文, Français, Baˈhasa indoneˈsia, 日本語, Português, Русский

Engineers inspect the 3D printing of a bicycle frame in California: trade in services has risen dramatically and the use of technology is changing how countries trade with each other (photo: Stephen Lam/Reuters /Newscom).

Recent news on global trade has tended to focus on protectionist measures and diplomatic tensions. These challenges have raised concerns over growth and jobs across the world. Continue reading “Creating a Better Global Trade System” »

By IMFBlog| May 29th, 2018|Advanced Economies, capital markets, technology, trade|

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About IMFBlog

Estimating Cyber Risk for the Financial Sector

An Imbalance in Global Banks’ Dollar Funding

Chart of the Week: The Rise of Corporate Giants

Chart of the Week: Distribution of Globalization’s Gains

Our Digital Future