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Is Regulation the Newest Banking Bubble?
 
In a financial bubble, assets are overpriced and credit overextended. Today, lawmakers and banking regulators are inflating another kind of bubble by overcompensating for past sins, says Richard J. Parsons.

In Broke: America's Banking System, recently published by the Risk Management Association, Parsons doles out plenty of criticism for the industry. He admonishes fellow bankers to "understand our duty to society" and calls for higher standards. That includes licensing and certification for certain banking jobs and boards composed of banking and financial market experts, rather than community leaders. Toward the end of the book, he turns his sights on regulators and lawmakers.

"A growing number of community and regional bankers now complain that the flood of new public policies and intensified regulatory scrutiny are bringing unintended consequences," writes Parsons, who worked at Bank of America (BAC) for three decades. "Rather than actually make the system safer, the current bubble of policies and regulatory oversight runs the risk of creating the newest external event risk." Following are five risks that Parsons warns could flare up due to what he calls the "regulatory bubble."

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Comments (2)
The examiner runs over the hill after the battle is over, and shoots the wounded. We are now in shoot-the-wounded mode.
Posted by bartharness | Thursday, March 21 2013 at 2:42PM ET
RMA is grateful to American Banker for publishing a web PowerPoint featuring some of the regulatory challenges that Richard J. Parsons discusses in his book, Broke: America's Banking System. We do want to point out, however, that this book is about much more than regulation. What's wrong with the American banking system is not all the fault of the regulators. Far from it. In his book, Parsons discusses the importance of experience for bankers, directors, regulators and lawmakers. He details what can go wrong when directors and senior management do not question an imperial CEO or when shareholders believe banking is a high-growth investment. The fundamental rules of banking, sometimes called the Five C's of Credit, have not changed over the past millennia. Character, capacity, capital, conditions and collateral should determine a borrower's credit worthiness. Parsons' insights are compelling. We at The Risk Management Association hope it will be read by regulators, bankers, lawmakers, and directors.

Kathie Beans Editor, The RMA Journal

Posted by hengyou | Wednesday, March 27 2013 at 4:10PM ET
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