Unlocking Credit: The Quest for Deep and Stable Bank Lending; 2005 Report

Bank loans are the main source of credit for businesses across Latin America, so understanding what determines the depth, cost, and volatility of bank credit is crucial to designing strategies that ensure financial stability and promote growth.

This new edition of Economic and Social Progress in Latin America provides a comprehensive analysis of the region's all-important banking industry. The book examines two-way interactions between macroeconomic policies and financial intermediation -- not only how these policies affect banking but how banks weather intermediate shocks, and how industry incentives can prompt bank portfolio choices that influence economic policy. The report also discusses how elements of a financial safety net -- including deposit insurance, prudential regulation, protection of creditor rights, and legal and judicial enforcement -- can mitigate factors that make credit more volatile and constrain its expansion.

Finally, the report studies how the banking industry's market structure affects its performance. Particular attention is given to the role of government- versus foreign-owned banks, access to credit by small and medium-sized enterprises,and the development of mortgage credit markets.

Anyone interested in ... crisis-resistant financial systems that can contribute to growth has a lot to learn from this book. -- Vittorio Corbo, President, Central Bank of Chile

Pursuit of soundness in the banking sector ... requires full analytical support as provided in this book. -- John B. Taylor, Under Secretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury