Threat Of Fiscal Dominance

Download Threat Of Fiscal Dominance full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online Threat Of Fiscal Dominance ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

Threat of Fiscal Dominance?

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9789291311354
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (113 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Threat of Fiscal Dominance? by :

Download or read book Threat of Fiscal Dominance? written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The massive expansion of central bank balance sheets to contain the worst financial crisis in living memory raises questions about the theory and practice of monetary policy. The persistence in many advanced countries of large fiscal deficits and the prospect of high public debt/GDP ratios for many years is likely, at some point, to create policy dilemmas not only for central banks but also for public debt managers. Some countries have already had to cope with higher sovereign risk. Worries about both "fiscal dominance" and "financial repression" have certainly gained ground. Whatever view is taken of this, the boundary between monetary policy and government debt management has become increasingly blurred. Policy interactions have changed in ways that are difficult to understand. The current delineation of policy mandates may need to be reassessed. The aim of this BIS-OECD workshop was to better understand these issues. Theoretical perspectives draw on a long and rich body of monetary theory, but the theory is far from settled. Analysis of the history of fiscal/debt/monetary policy interconnections shows how such linkages have varied across countries and over time - there is no "one size fits all". And careful review of empirical studies shows that precise estimates of the impact of large-scale central bank purchases of government bonds need to be treated with caution. There is great uncertainty about the impact of increased government debt on inflation, on interest rates and on future growth. Much will depend on future policies. Do monetary policies need to be better coordinated with other macroeconomic or financial policies? Could government financing decisions and financial sector regulation drive the long-term interest rate too low, at least in the short-term? What medium-term risks could this create? What could be the implications for the efficiency and stability of the financial system?

Threat of Fiscal Dominance?

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (14 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Threat of Fiscal Dominance? by :

Download or read book Threat of Fiscal Dominance? written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The massive expansion of central bank balance sheets to contain the worst financial crisis in living memory raises questions about the theory and practice of monetary policy. The persistence in many advanced countries of large fiscal deficits and the prospect of high public debt/GDP ratios for many years is likely, at some point, to create policy dilemmas not only for central banks but also for public debt managers. Some countries have already had to cope with higher sovereign risk. Worries about both "fiscal dominance" and "financial repression" have certainly gained ground. Whatever view is taken of this, the boundary between monetary policy and government debt management has become increasingly blurred. Policy interactions have changed in ways that are difficult to understand. The current delineation of policy mandates may need to be reassessed. The aim of this BIS-OECD workshop was to better understand these issues. Theoretical perspectives draw on a long and rich body of monetary theory, but the theory is far from settled. Analysis of the history of fiscal/debt/monetary policy interconnections shows how such linkages have varied across countries and over time - there is no "one size fits all". And careful review of empirical studies shows that precise estimates of the impact of large-scale central bank purchases of government bonds need to be treated with caution. There is great uncertainty about the impact of increased government debt on inflation, on interest rates and on future growth. Much will depend on future policies. Do monetary policies need to be better coordinated with other macroeconomic or financial policies? Could government financing decisions and financial sector regulation drive the long-term interest rate too low, at least in the short-term? What medium-term risks could this create? What could be the implications for the efficiency and stability of the financial system?

Financial Dominance

Author : Daniel Gros
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9789284684991
Total Pages : 22 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (849 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Financial Dominance by : Daniel Gros

Download or read book Financial Dominance written by Daniel Gros and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Financial dominance describes a situation in which a central bank does not dare to tighten its policy stance as this would threaten the stability of the financial system. The danger of this happening is limited at present. The banking system is well capitalised. Private credit has not expanded much, not even during the COVID-19 recession in most euro area countries – except in France. However, in some countries, the financial sector remains highly exposed to sovereign debt. "Indirect financial dominance"could thus easily arise if sovereign risk premia return. Continuing asset purchases under the PEPP increases the danger of fiscal dominance. This paper was provided by the Policy Departmentfor Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ahead of the Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President on 27 September 2021

Fiscal Dominance and Inflation Targeting

Author : Olivier J. Blanchard
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 62 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (318 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fiscal Dominance and Inflation Targeting by : Olivier J. Blanchard

Download or read book Fiscal Dominance and Inflation Targeting written by Olivier J. Blanchard and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A standard proposition in open-economy macroeconomics is that a central-bank-engineered increase in the real interest rate makes domestic government debt more attractive and leads to a real appreciation. If, however, the increase in the real interest rate also increases the probability of default on the debt, the effect may be instead to make domestic government debt less attractive, and to lead to a real depreciation. That outcome is more likely the higher the initial level of debt, the higher the proportion of foreign-currency-denominated debt, and the higher the price of risk. Under that outcome, inflation targeting can clearly have perverse effects: An increase in the real interest in response to higher inflation leads to a real depreciation. The real depreciation leads in turn to a further increase in inflation. In this case, fiscal policy, not monetary policy, is the right instrument to decrease inflation. This paper argues that this is the situation the Brazilian economy found itself in in 2002 and 2003. It presents a model of the interaction between the interest rate, the exchange rate, and the probability of default, in a high-debt high-risk-aversion economy such as Brazil during that period. It then estimates the model, using Brazilian data. It concludes that, in 2002, the level and the composition of public debt in Brazil, and the general level of risk aversion in world financial markets, were indeed such as to imply perverse effects of the interest rate on the exchange rate and on inflation"--NBER website

Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India

Author : Viral V. Acharya
Publisher : Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN 13 : 9357082468
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (57 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India by : Viral V. Acharya

Download or read book Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India written by Viral V. Acharya and published by Penguin Random House India Private Limited. This book was released on 2023-08-28 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An excellent primer for students wanting to learn macroeconomics and policymaking - Kaushik Basu An important and timely contribution to our understanding of the Indian economy - Raghuram Rajan How to maintain financial stability in India? Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India is a classic work to understand this critical subject. In this Penguin edition, with a new introduction, Viral V. Acharya, former Deputy Governor of RBI offers a concrete road map for comprehensive improvement of India's economy. Authoritative and definitive, this is a must read for the students and scholars of Indian economy, policymakers and anyone interested in India's finance sector.

Fiscal Policy, Public Debt and Monetary Policy in Emerging Market Economies

Author : Bank for International Settlements. Monetary and Economic Department
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9789291971527
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (715 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fiscal Policy, Public Debt and Monetary Policy in Emerging Market Economies by : Bank for International Settlements. Monetary and Economic Department

Download or read book Fiscal Policy, Public Debt and Monetary Policy in Emerging Market Economies written by Bank for International Settlements. Monetary and Economic Department and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policies

Author : International Monetary Fund
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1451844239
Total Pages : 33 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (518 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policies by : International Monetary Fund

Download or read book Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policies written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1998-03-01 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recently, monetary authorities have increasingly focused on implementing policies to ensure price stability and strengthen central bank independence. Simultaneously, in the fiscal area, market development has allowed public debt managers to focus more on cost minimization. This “divorce” of monetary and debt management functions in no way lessens the need for effective coordination of monetary and fiscal policy if overall economic performance is to be optimized and maintained in the long term. This paper analyzes these issues based on a review of the relevant literature and of country experiences from an institutional and operational perspective.

A Political Economy Essay on the Fiscal and Monetary Interactions in Brazil

Author : Marcos Centurión-Vicéncio
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (125 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Political Economy Essay on the Fiscal and Monetary Interactions in Brazil by : Marcos Centurión-Vicéncio

Download or read book A Political Economy Essay on the Fiscal and Monetary Interactions in Brazil written by Marcos Centurión-Vicéncio and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the principal conclusions of modern macroeconomics is that fiscal dominance is a threat to price stability. This 'unpleasant dominance' describes a particular situation in which short-sighted politicians would use the central bank's power to create money so to accommodate the financial needs of the government. The empirical demonstration of fiscal dominance firstly presented by Sargent and Wallace (1981) unveiled a positive correlation between price instability and this specific dysfunction in fiscal and monetary interactions. The emphasis placed by the subsequent contributions on the benefits of having a monetary-dominant regime to mitigate the risk of fiscal dominance, our documentary analysis suggests, faded away more consistent discussions about non-dominant solutions. This thesis seeks to fill this gap by investigating how the idea of monetary dominance has been generating negative externalities over the fiscal balance of the government. We argue that this notion is none but a partial solution. This is because the influence of interest groups over monetary decisions are often neglected, as central banks are assumed to be impartial institutions interacting with irrational governments which choices are likely to generate time-inconsistency problems. Two fundamental limitations of these assumptions are then acknowledged. Firstly, by rarely looking at the social and institutional mechanisms through which price instability can arise, a minimal emphasis is given to what we will call here as the 'financialisation of monetary policy' - a distortion in monetary choices leading to the maximisation of private gains at the expenses of collective losses. Secondly, little attention is paid to the negative externalities of monetary dominance over the fiscal balance of the government. These limitations are explored through a political economy analysis of the repurchase agreements (repo) used for monetary purposes in Brazil during the period 2006-2016. At the same time that these operations were extensively deployed by the Brazilian central bank to make inflation converge to the target, we show that repo count among the most important sources of funding for the major commercial banks in the country. The 'double character' of this financial instrument suggests that central bank decisions are not purely 'technical' but also political, which consequently calls for a study that integrates the conflict of interests over monetary decisions, as well as the mechanisms at the disposal of the central bank to deal with the action of organised interest groups. We, therefore, go beyond the assumption of inflation as a merely 'monetary disease', to investigate the economic forces that lie behind the excessive injections of money into the Brazilian interbank market. This is how this thesis intends to contribute to rethinking monetary policy theory and the nature of public borrowing.

The Money Illusion

Author : Scott Sumner
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 0226826562
Total Pages : 415 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (268 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Money Illusion by : Scott Sumner

Download or read book The Money Illusion written by Scott Sumner and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2023-05-06 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book-length work on market monetarism, written by its leading scholar. Is it possible that the consensus around what caused the 2008 Great Recession is almost entirely wrong? It’s happened before. Just as Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz led the economics community in the 1960s to reevaluate its view of what caused the Great Depression, the same may be happening now to our understanding of the first economic crisis of the 21st century. Foregoing the usual relitigating of problems such as housing markets and banking crises, renowned monetary economist Scott Sumner argues that the Great Recession came down to one thing: nominal GDP, the sum of all nominal spending in the economy, which the Federal Reserve erred in allowing to plummet. The Money Illusion is an end-to-end case for this school of thought, known as market monetarism, written by its leading voice in economics. Based almost entirely on standard macroeconomic concepts, this highly accessible text lays the groundwork for a simple yet fundamentally radical understanding of how monetary policy can work best: providing a stable environment for a market economy to flourish.

Stochastic Dominance and Applications to Finance, Risk and Economics

Author : Songsak Sriboonchita
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 9781420082678
Total Pages : 455 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (826 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Stochastic Dominance and Applications to Finance, Risk and Economics by : Songsak Sriboonchita

Download or read book Stochastic Dominance and Applications to Finance, Risk and Economics written by Songsak Sriboonchita and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2009-10-19 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing from many sources in the literature, Stochastic Dominance and Applications to Finance, Risk and Economics illustrates how stochastic dominance (SD) can be used as a method for risk assessment in decision making. It provides basic background on SD for various areas of applications. Useful Concepts and Techniques for Economics ApplicationsThe

A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017

Author : Timothy J. Kehoe
Publisher : U of Minnesota Press
ISBN 13 : 1452965846
Total Pages : 643 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (529 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017 by : Timothy J. Kehoe

Download or read book A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017 written by Timothy J. Kehoe and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 643 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major, new, and comprehensive look at six decades of macroeconomic policies across the region What went wrong with the economic development of Latin America over the past half-century? Along with periods of poor economic performance, the region’s countries have been plagued by a wide variety of economic crises. This major new work brings together dozens of leading economists to explore the economic performance of the ten largest countries in South America and of Mexico. Together they advance the fundamental hypothesis that, despite different manifestations, these crises all have been the result of poorly designed or poorly implemented fiscal and monetary policies. Each country is treated in its own section of the book, with a lead chapter presenting a comprehensive database of the country’s fiscal, monetary, and economic data from 1960 to 2017. The chapters are drawn from one-day academic conferences—hosted in all but one case, in the focus country—with participants including noted economists and former leading policy makers. Cowritten with Nobel Prize winner Thomas J. Sargent, the editors’ introduction provides a conceptual framework for analyzing fiscal and monetary policy in countries around the world, particularly those less developed. A final chapter draws conclusions and suggests directions for further research. A vital resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics and for economic researchers and policy makers, A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017 goes further than any book in stressing both the singularities and the similarities of the economic histories of Latin America’s largest countries. Contributors: Mark Aguiar, Princeton U; Fernando Alvarez, U of Chicago; Manuel Amador, U of Minnesota; Joao Ayres, Inter-American Development Bank; Saki Bigio, UCLA; Luigi Bocola, Stanford U; Francisco J. Buera, Washington U, St. Louis; Guillermo Calvo, Columbia U; Rodrigo Caputo, U of Santiago; Roberto Chang, Rutgers U; Carlos Javier Charotti, Central Bank of Paraguay; Simón Cueva, TNK Economics; Julián P. Díaz, Loyola U Chicago; Sebastian Edwards, UCLA; Carlos Esquivel, Rutgers U; Eduardo Fernández Arias, Peking U; Carlos Fernández Valdovinos (former Central Bank of Paraguay); Arturo José Galindo, Banco de la República, Colombia; Márcio Garcia, PUC-Rio; Felipe González Soley, U of Southampton; Diogo Guillen, PUC-Rio; Lars Peter Hansen, U of Chicago; Patrick Kehoe, Stanford U; Carlos Gustavo Machicado Salas, Bolivian Catholic U; Joaquín Marandino, U Torcuato Di Tella; Alberto Martin, U Pompeu Fabra; Cesar Martinelli, George Mason U; Felipe Meza, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México; Pablo Andrés Neumeyer, U Torcuato Di Tella; Gabriel Oddone, U de la República; Daniel Osorio, Banco de la República; José Peres Cajías, U of Barcelona; David Perez-Reyna, U de los Andes; Fabrizio Perri, Minneapolis Fed; Andrew Powell, Inter-American Development Bank; Diego Restuccia, U of Toronto; Diego Saravia, U de los Andes; Thomas J. Sargent, New York U; José A. Scheinkman, Columbia U; Teresa Ter-Minassian (formerly IMF); Marco Vega, Pontificia U Católica del Perú; Carlos Végh, Johns Hopkins U; François R. Velde, Chicago Fed; Alejandro Werner, IMF.

Sovereign Debt Restructurings 1950-2010

Author : Mr.Udaibir S. Das
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1475505531
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (755 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Sovereign Debt Restructurings 1950-2010 by : Mr.Udaibir S. Das

Download or read book Sovereign Debt Restructurings 1950-2010 written by Mr.Udaibir S. Das and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper provides a comprehensive survey of pertinent issues on sovereign debt restructurings, based on a newly constructed database. This is the first complete dataset of sovereign restructuring cases, covering the six decades from 1950–2010; it includes 186 debt exchanges with foreign banks and bondholders, and 447 bilateral debt agreements with the Paris Club. We present new stylized facts on the outcome and process of debt restructurings, including on the size of haircuts, creditor participation, and legal aspects. In addition, the paper summarizes the relevant empirical literature, analyzes recent restructuring episodes, and discusses ongoing debates on crisis resolution mechanisms, credit default swaps, and the role of collective action clauses.

The Liquidation of Government Debt

Author : Ms.Carmen Reinhart
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1498338380
Total Pages : 47 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (983 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Liquidation of Government Debt by : Ms.Carmen Reinhart

Download or read book The Liquidation of Government Debt written by Ms.Carmen Reinhart and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-01-21 with total page 47 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: High public debt often produces the drama of default and restructuring. But debt is also reduced through financial repression, a tax on bondholders and savers via negative or belowmarket real interest rates. After WWII, capital controls and regulatory restrictions created a captive audience for government debt, limiting tax-base erosion. Financial repression is most successful in liquidating debt when accompanied by inflation. For the advanced economies, real interest rates were negative 1⁄2 of the time during 1945–1980. Average annual interest expense savings for a 12—country sample range from about 1 to 5 percent of GDP for the full 1945–1980 period. We suggest that, once again, financial repression may be part of the toolkit deployed to cope with the most recent surge in public debt in advanced economies.

Monetary Policy Strategy

Author : Frederic S. Mishkin
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262134829
Total Pages : 561 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (621 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Monetary Policy Strategy by : Frederic S. Mishkin

Download or read book Monetary Policy Strategy written by Frederic S. Mishkin and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book by a leading authority on monetary policy offers a unique view of the subject from the perspectives of both scholar and practitioner. Frederic Mishkin is not only an academic expert in the field but also a high-level policymaker. He is especially well positioned to discuss the changes in the conduct of monetary policy in recent years, in particular the turn to inflation targeting. Monetary Policy Strategydescribes his work over the last ten years, offering published papers, new introductory material, and a summing up, "Everything You Wanted to Know about Monetary Policy Strategy, But Were Afraid to Ask," which reflects on what we have learned about monetary policy over the last thirty years. Mishkin blends theory, econometric evidence, and extensive case studies of monetary policy in advanced and emerging market and transition economies. Throughout, his focus is on these key areas: the importance of price stability and a nominal anch fiscal and financial preconditions for achieving price stability; central bank independence as an additional precondition; central bank accountability; the rationale for inflation targeting; the optimal inflation target; central bank transparency and communication; and the role of asset prices in monetary policy.

The Deficit Myth

Author : Stephanie Kelton
Publisher : PublicAffairs
ISBN 13 : 1541736206
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (417 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Deficit Myth by : Stephanie Kelton

Download or read book The Deficit Myth written by Stephanie Kelton and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Bestseller The leading thinker and most visible public advocate of modern monetary theory -- the freshest and most important idea about economics in decades -- delivers a radically different, bold, new understanding for how to build a just and prosperous society. Stephanie Kelton's brilliant exploration of modern monetary theory (MMT) dramatically changes our understanding of how we can best deal with crucial issues ranging from poverty and inequality to creating jobs, expanding health care coverage, climate change, and building resilient infrastructure. Any ambitious proposal, however, inevitably runs into the buzz saw of how to find the money to pay for it, rooted in myths about deficits that are hobbling us as a country. Kelton busts through the myths that prevent us from taking action: that the federal government should budget like a household, that deficits will harm the next generation, crowd out private investment, and undermine long-term growth, and that entitlements are propelling us toward a grave fiscal crisis. MMT, as Kelton shows, shifts the terrain from narrow budgetary questions to one of broader economic and social benefits. With its important new ways of understanding money, taxes, and the critical role of deficit spending, MMT redefines how to responsibly use our resources so that we can maximize our potential as a society. MMT gives us the power to imagine a new politics and a new economy and move from a narrative of scarcity to one of opportunity.

Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security ?

Author : National Defense University (U S )
Publisher : Government Printing Office
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 132 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security ? by : National Defense University (U S )

Download or read book Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security ? written by National Defense University (U S ) and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2011-12-27 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On August 24-25, 2010, the National Defense University held a conference titled “Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security?” to explore the economic element of national power. This special collection of selected papers from the conference represents the view of several keynote speakers and participants in six panel discussions. It explores the complexity surrounding this subject and examines the major elements that, interacting as a system, define the economic component of national security.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report

Author : Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
Publisher : Cosimo, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1616405414
Total Pages : 692 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (164 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report by : Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

Download or read book The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report written by Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission and published by Cosimo, Inc.. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 692 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.