WASHINGTON – Greater US federal oversight of life insurance settlement securities is urgently needed as banks buy more and more of such settlements with the aim of combining them into securities products, a senior US insurance supervisor told Washington lawmakers in September.

ISTANBUL – Central banks in developing countries such as India need to hone their judgment skills as they simultaneously pursue the aims of growth and financial stability in the wake of the global financial crisis, according to India’s central bank chief.

ISTANBUL – The financial services sector and its regulators must start a new phase of systematic talks on global financial regulation, at senior and technical levels, to build a stable financial system after a year of intense strain, a top global banking industry leader urged in October.

America sees merits and problems in G20 world brought about by the crisis. It may not be suited to dealing with all issues

The fair value bug-bear could undermine the G20 wish for a global accounting rule. IASB claims superior approach

Realistic and transparent asset valuation is crucial to restoring investor confidence following the global financial crisis, a leading European central banker said in September in a strong defence of the market-pricing of distressed assets in financial statements.

Top European insurance chief makes controversial proposal for a Federal charter. But an information office seems likelier

Implementing Solvency II takes centre stage, but long-term questions about the calibration of capital requirements and the role of internal risk models are still to be answered

Two new quantitative liquidity ratios could start to impact banks by end 2010. But differences remain over composition of safety buffers By Melvyn Westlake

One answer to the too-big-to-fail problem could be ‘living wills.’ Trouble is, there is no clear definition of what they actually are