About the Survey
We have successfully concluded the first Bank of Finland Survey on Bank Capital Requirements. We wish to profusely thank the respondents and the academic community for their active participation and for sharing their views through the survey.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to reach out to the survey team, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at capitalsurvey(at)bof.fi. We welcome any comments, suggestions and queries and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Please see the short note in the VoxEU Blogs & Reviews for an overview of why we think doing this survey is an important step towards further understanding optimal banking regulation.
The survey team is composed of Esa Jokivuolle (Bank of Finland), Iftekhar Hasan (Fordham University and Bank of Finland), Kim Ristolainen (University of Turku), and Gene Ambrocio (Bank of Finland). Visit the Contact page for information on how to contact the survey team.
The Survey Advisory Board comprises the following members: Mark Flannery (University of Florida), Thomas Gehrig (University of Vienna), Seppo Honkapohja (Aalto University), William Kerr (Harvard Business School), Philip Molyneux (Bangor University), Steven Ongena (University of Zurich), George Pennacchi (University of Illinois), and Tuomas Valimaki (Bank of Finland).
What is the purpose of the survey?
The purpose of the survey is to collect expert opinion on how bank regulation should be designed, focusing particularly on capital requirements. The survey also contains, but does not solely focus on,questions concerning the current form of regulations.
How can I contact the survey team?
You may reach the survey team by sending an email to capitalsurvey@bof.fi.
Who are responsible for conducting the survey? What is the role of the Bank of Finland in the survey?
The survey is being conducted by a team of research economists. Three members of the team are affiliated with the Bank of Finland at the time the survey is launched.
Will the survey be used as an input to forthcoming regulatory changes?
No. However, the survey results will be made public and freely available to any interested party.
When will the survey end?
The survey will run until March 10, 2019.
Where and when can I see the survey results?
The survey results will appear on the survey website in the months following the conclusion of the survey. People who have been asked to participate will also be notified of the publication by email.
What results will be made publicly available?
Standard statistical methods will be used to generate survey results which summarize and average responses from ALL respondents. These results will be publicly reported. Individual responses are anonymous. The survey team will not be able to identify individual respondents from any of the responses. Anonymous/anonymized quotes from written responses may also be published.
Can I use the survey results? How do I cite the survey?
Once the survey results have been made public, they are freely available to any interested party. The details for referencing the survey will be provided at the survey website.
May I know if (Name) participated in the survey?
No. The survey is anonymous.
Will a third party have access to the survey responses?
No.
Can I have the question "___" added to the survey?
At present this is not possible. However, please send an email to the survey team at capitalsurvey@bof.fi for these and other suggestions.
Who are asked to do the survey? Why was (Name) sent/not sent the survey? Are there plans to invite (Name) to take the survey?
The survey is intended for leading banking and finance experts and researchers world-wide and, potentially in a follow-up, to bank practitioners.
Invitations are sent to a non-exhaustive but representative list of names.
We are happy to receive suggestions on whom to include in possible future surveys. Please send such suggestions to the survey team by email at capitalsurvey@bof.fi.
How can I participate in the survey?
The survey invitation is sent by email to prospective respondents.
Why was I asked to participate in the survey?
The survey is intended for leading banking and finance experts and researchers world-wide and, in its second phase, to bank practitioners.
Invitations are sent to a non-exhaustive but representative list of names.
We are happy to receive suggestions on whom to include in possible future surveys. Please send such suggestions to the survey team by email at capitalsurvey@bof.fi.
Can I be identified from the survey?
No.
Do I need to answer all of the questions?
No, you are free to answer only part of the questions. You may exit the survey at any time.
How will my responses in the survey be used?
Standard statistical methods will be used to generate survey results which summarize and average responses from ALL respondents. These results will be publicly reported. Individual responses are anonymous. The survey team will not be able to identify individual respondents from any of the responses. Anonymous/anonymized quotes from written responses may also be published.
Do I have to finish the survey in one session? Can I save my responses and continue with the survey at a later date?
Yes, you have to finish the survey in one session. Due to the rigorous measures undertaken to ensure anonymity, the survey session cannot be saved and continued at a later time.
If I am not completely sure about my answer to a given question, how can I indicate my uncertainty?
You are always welcome to express your views, or lack thereof, in greater detail in the Comment box at the end of the survey.
How can I have my answers removed from the survey?
This is not possible as the survey is completely anonymous.
Until when can I submit survey responses?
The survey will expire on March 10, 2019.
Where and when can I see the survey results?
The survey results will appear on the survey website in the months following the conclusion of the survey. People who have been asked to participate will also be notified of the publication by email.
Will I have access to the survey data once the survey is finished?
Summary results of the survey will be made publicly available once the survey is finished. At this point, there is no plan to disseminate the individual responses from the survey.
Survey Results
Please click on this link to view the survey results in pdf format.
Bank of Finland Discussion Papers 10/2020: Are bank capital requirements optimally set? Evidence from researchers’ views
by Gene Ambrocio, Iftekhar Hasan, Esa Jokivuolle and Kim Ristolainen
Abstract
We survey 149 leading academic researchers on bank capital regulation. The median (average) respondent prefers a 10% (15%) minimum non-risk-weighted equity-to-assets ratio, which is considerably higher than the current requirement. North Americans prefer a significantly higher equity-to-assets ratio than Europeans. We find substantial support for the new forms of regulation introduced in Basel III, such as liquidity requirements. Views are most dispersed regarding the use of hybrid assets and bail-inable debt in capital regulation. 70% of experts would support an additional market-based capital requirement. When investigating factors driving capital requirement preferences, we find that the typical expert believes a five percentage points increase in capital requirements would “probably decrease” both the likelihood and social cost of a crisis with “minimal to no change” to loan volumes and economic activity. The best predictor of capital requirement preference is how strongly an expert believes that higher capital requirements would increase the cost of bank lending.
Contact
You may reach the survey team through the following email address.
Email address: capitalsurvey@bof.fi