Franz-Josef Benedikt steps down as President of the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Bavaria and is succeeded by Reinhold Vollbracht, who previously headed a strategic office in the Directorate General Banking and Financial Supervision. Mr Benedikt retires at the end of July after serving in various positions during a 36-year career at the Bundesbank.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is based in Basel and was established in 1930. Only central banks and comparable institutions can become members of this, the oldest international financial organisation. The Bundesbank is one of currently 63 members. The Bundesbank president automatically has a seat on the BIS Board of Directors.

The ongoing monitoring of institutions also includes conducting on-site inspections. These give the Bundesbank deeper insights into institutions’ risk structures and the procedures they use to control risk. The Bundesbank’s supervisors investigate whether the internal risk measurement methods which institutions use to calculate their capital requirements can be approved.

Here you will find information on issuance by monetary financial institutions ("securities issues").

Cash continues to be the most frequently used means of payment in Germany, although cashless payments are increasing their share. These are the findings of the Bundesbank’s sixth study on payment behaviour in Germany for 2021. Respondents used banknotes and coins to make a total of 58% of their payments for purchases of goods and services, compared with 74% in the Bundesbank’s last major study from 2017. The lower use of cash was mainly due to the increase in online purchases during the coronavirus pandemic.