Thursday, October 24, 2013

The Fed is about to make owning physical assets a game all banks can play

http://qz.com/138759/the-fed-is-about-to-make-owning-physical-assets-a-game-all-banks-can-play/

Last week, Federal Reserve officials leaked to the Wall Street Journal their tentative plan to limit the ability of Goldman Sachs and big banks to own metals warehouses, power plants, and other physical commodity assets.

But experts say that, if implemented, the policy the Fed is floating would actually expand the rights of all banks to enter these physical markets, by creating an official entrance instead of locking the door shut. Presented like a deterrent, it would also be a novel enabler.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Fed’s plan would call for balancing out the new right to hold assets with a requirement that banks hold more capital to cover the potential risks posed by these activities. The Fed declined to comment on the report but is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.


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