Wall Street to Main Street: US Banking Crisis and its Global Impact

History of Bank Failures in the United States

The United States of America has a long history of bank failures dating back to the early days of the nation. These failures have had significant impacts on the US economy and the banking industry, shaping regulations and policies over time.

Early US Banking Crisis

The first recorded bank failure in the United States occurred in 1792 when the Bank of Pennsylvania failed due to fraud and mismanagement. This was followed by a series of bank failures in the early 1800s, which were caused by a lack of regulation and oversight. Banks were able to issue banknotes without any backing, leading to rampant inflation and instability in the banking system.

The National Banking Act of 1863 was a response to the instability of the banking system and the high number of bank failures. The act established a national currency and created a system of nationally chartered banks that were required to hold US government bonds as collateral. This system helped to stabilize the banking system and reduce the number of bank failures.

The Great Depression

The Great Depression of the 1930s was a period of widespread economic hardship that was caused, in part, by bank failures. In the early 1930s, over 9,000 banks failed, leading to a loss of confidence in the banking system and a freeze in credit markets. This contributed to the economic downturn, and the government responded with the establishment of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in 1933. The FDIC-insured bank deposits up to a certain amount, providing depositors with greater confidence in the banking system.

Great Recession of 2008

The United States began to feel the effects of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression in 2008. This era of economic recession began in 2007, but it became a full-fledged crisis in March 2008, when Bear Stearns began encountering liquidity concerns. Later that year, two investment banks, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, went bankrupt. Many economic variables came together to cause the Great Recession. However, rampant speculation, this time in the housing markets, had a significant role.

Following the financial crisis, Congress enacted regulatory measures like as increased capital requirements and “stress tests” in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. These measures were enacted to ensure that banks that were “too big to fail” were adequately capitalized to withstand the next financial crisis.

US Banking Crisis of 2023

Three small- to mid-size U.S. banks failed in March 2023, causing a dramatic drop in worldwide bank stock values and a quick response by authorities to avert potential global contagion. Silicon Valley Bank [SVB] had made significant investments in Treasury bonds, and as their yields climbed, the value of these securities plummeted dramatically.

When many of the bank’s tech startup customers needed to access their assets at the same time, SVB was obliged to sell their Treasuries at a considerable loss. As depositors became aware of the bank’s liquidity issues, they hurried to remove funds from the faltering institution. SVB, like other bank runs in the past, was unable to recover. The bank fell in March 2023, making it the largest bank failure since 2008 and the second-largest bank failure in American history. The other two banks – Silvergate Bank and Signature Bank, both of which had major exposure to cryptocurrency, fell in the middle of market turmoil

US  Banking Crisis and its Impact on the Global Economy :

The financial system in the United States is a critical component of the global economy, and any disruption in its operation can have far-reaching implications.

Disruption of the Global Financial System

One of the most significant examples of the impact of US banking failures on the global economy is the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. The collapse of the US housing market and the subprime mortgage industry precipitated the crisis. As the crisis progressed, major US banks, notably Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Bear Stearns failed or were bought by other institutions.

The failure of these banks had repercussions on the global financial system. Banks worldwide have invested in US subprime mortgages and held sophisticated financial derivatives tied to the US housing market. When the housing market in the United States collapsed, these investments became worthless, resulting in significant losses for banks and other financial institutions around the world.

The 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers is another illustration of the global economic repercussions of US financial failures. Lehman Brothers was a worldwide investment bank with a considerable global reach. Its demise shook the global financial system, causing a liquidity crisis and a credit market freeze.

The failure of Lehman Brothers had a huge influence on the European banking system. European banks had significant exposure to Lehman Brothers, and their assets in the bank quickly lost value. The crisis eroded trust in European banks, forcing some of them to be bailed out by their governments.

The fallout from the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was not restricted to Europe. It had a knock-on effect on the global financial system, with ramifications seen in many countries throughout the world.

Stock Market Volatility

Bank failures can lead to stock market volatility, as investors react to the news. When a bank fails, it can cause a sell-off in the stock market, which can spread to other sectors of the economy. This can lead to a decline in consumer confidence and a slowdown in economic growth.

The Global Financial Crisis influenced the whole global economy. Global stock markets crashed, and several countries slid into recession. The crisis exposed the interconnectivity of the global financial system as well as the need for improved financial institution regulation and oversight.

Implications for International Trade

A bank failure in the United States might affect foreign trade as well. Trade financing is an important part of international trade, and banks play an important role in supplying it. If a US bank collapses, trade funding can be disrupted, affecting worldwide trade flows.

Government Bailouts

In the event of a major bank failure, the US government may be forced to step in and provide a bailout. This can have an impact on the US budget deficit and debt, which can, in turn, affect the global economy. A large bailout can lead to inflation and a decline in the value of the US dollar, which can have a ripple effect on other economies around the world.

Recession and Unemployment

A major bank failure in the United States might trigger a recession and raise unemployment rates. As firms struggle to obtain loans, they may be forced to lay off employees, raising unemployment rates. Loss of faith in the banking sector may also lead to a decrease in consumer expenditure, resulting in an additional slowdown in economic activity.

Measures Undertaken by the Government :

To stop future crises in the American banking system, the US government and authorities have put in place several regulatory safeguards. Some of the most important actions include:

Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection and Wall Street Reform Act:

Since the Great Depression, this act, which was passed in 2010, is said to have significantly changed the regulatory landscape. By enhancing the financial system’s accountability and transparency, it seeks to advance financial stability. Additionally, it allows for the creation of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which oversees and addresses financial system risks.

Basel III:

This is a set of international banking regulations that aim to strengthen bank capital requirements, improve risk management, and promote transparency in financial reporting.

Federal Reserve Stress Tests:

These tests are intended to make sure that banks have enough capital to withstand a financial crisis and evaluate how resilient large financial institutions are to unfavorable economic scenarios.

Greater Regulation of Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs):

SIFIs are significant financial institutions whose failure might cause the financial system to become unstable. These institutions are now subject to stricter regulation and oversight from regulators.

Volker Rule:

The Volcker Rule limits bank investments in some kinds of hedge funds and private equity funds and forbids banks from engaging in proprietary trading.

Enhanced Consumer Protection:

With actions like the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, regulators have placed a greater emphasis on protecting consumers.

Government Measures: 2023 banking crisis

The government went above and beyond in reaction to the bank collapses in March to lessen the impact on the banking industry. The Bank Term Funding Programme (BTFP), launched by the Federal Reserve on March 12 as an emergency lending initiative, offers loans of up to one year to banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other qualified depository institutions that put up U.S. Treasuries, agency debt, mortgage-backed securities, and other acceptable assets as security.

The program is intended to reduce risks associated with current unrealized losses in the U.S. banking system, which stood at over $600 billion at the time of the program’s launch, and to provide liquidity to financial institutions in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s failure and other bank failures.

The program, which is funded by the Deposit Insurance Fund, provides loans of up to one year to qualified borrowers who pledge specific securities, such as US Treasury bonds, agency debt, and mortgage-backed securities, as collateral. So that a bank can borrow on asset values that have not been depreciated by a series of interest rate increases since 2022, the collateral will be valued at par rather than at open-market value.

Conditions at the Federal Reserve’s discount window were also loosened. As a safety net for the program, the Department of the Treasury will make up to $25 billion accessible from its Exchange Stabilization Fund.

Lessons from 2023 US Banking Crisis

Importance of Strong Financial Regulation: