SF Fed Blog
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Affordable Housing Funds Build on Experience
With the recent launch of two $500 million funds to support below-market housing, increasing attention is being focused on other funds for supporting production and preservation of affordable housing. But loan funds aren’t new, and there’s a lot we can learn from existing funds.
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India’s Aadhaar Challenge: Balancing Data Rights, Financial Inclusion, and Innovation
India’s adoption of unique biometric identities, known as Aadhaar, has catalyzed inclusion and innovation in financial services. However, Aadhaar has always raised concerns over the appropriate use of digital IDs in the broader social fabric. With India’s Supreme Court recently restricting Aadhaar’s use, its role is now in question. Financial market participants will have to adjust to shifts in rules as they balance emerging data rights with gains in inclusion and innovation.
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Did the Yield Curve Flip? Will the Economy Dip?
As the yield curve has continued to flatten, worries about recession risk have increased. However, according to conventional metrics, the current yield curve is not inverted and therefore does not predict a recession in the near future.
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U.S. Currency’s Starring Role in Film
Using United States currency on camera is perfectly legal. But for studios, working with real cash is not always the easiest option.
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Talking about the Economy, 2018 Edition
From bitcoin trading behavior to opioid Rx side effects on disability claims, here’s a round-up of our most talked-about Economic Letter topics of 2018.
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Views into Asia’s Foreign Indebtedness (Part Two)
External imbalances are one factor that can compound a country’s ability to manage its foreign debts. Across Asia, current account surpluses and large stocks of foreign exchange reserves strengthen many countries’ ability to manage their external liabilities. Though several Asian economies face current account deficits or low reserve coverage, they continue to appear more resilient compared to the situations in Argentina and Turkey.
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A Concrete Solution for Cash Shred Recycling
Our Salt Lake City branch’s solution to keeping cash shreds out of landfill? Use the shred residue for fuel consumption and as a component in cement.
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Views into Asia’s Foreign Indebtedness (Part One)
Recent developments in Argentina and Turkey have sparked concerns that other emerging market economies could be sitting on simmering vulnerabilities. A direct comparison of the region’s foreign debt finds that overall risk and apparent vulnerabilities are more contained in Asia relative to Argentina and Turkey. However, there are certain exposures in a handful of Asian economies that warrant close monitoring going forward.
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Asia’s Open Banking Push
Countries around Asia are implementing laws and regulations to promote open banking to share data and enable third parties to provide products and services around a centralized platform. A move to open banking reflects the increasing digitization of Asia’s economy and the rise of technology platforms that envision a consolidated financial life for their customers. The impacts could be dramatic, increasing competition and promoting efficiency, integration, and inclusion, while also creating new risks.
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Understanding the Financing Needs of Small Businesses in California
The Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) asks small business owners to detail their current business climate, financial needs and recent credit experiences. A new report from the SF Fed summarizes data at the state level for small businesses in California.