Safe to Fail

We can end to 'too big to fail.' We can make banks "safe to fail," so that investors, not taxpayers, bear the cost of bank failures, whilst minimising disruption to financial markets and the economy as a whole. In this new book, Thomas Huertas, author of Crisis: Cause, Containment and Cure provides a rigorous, yet accessible and engaging account of how we can make banks 'safe to fail' as well as how reform of resolution will revolutionize banking. The book focuses on systemically important financial institutions (G-SIFIs). Although these institutions play a vital role in fostering economic growth and development, G-SIFIs should not be too big to fail. That policy is too costly to continue. The book analyses efforts to make banks less likely to fail by strengthening regulation and sharpening supervision. It then provides a practical guide to making banks resolvable, or "safe to fail". Bail-in, not bail out, holds the key. That will recapitalize the failed bank and set the stage for the bank to continue to perform critical economic functions. But putting investors clearly at risk will challenge banks. The book outlines what banks should do in response, if they are to succeed in the new environment.