The consolidation process in the German banking sector continued in 2018. The total number of credit institutions in Germany has fallen by 40 to 1,783 institutions.

Overview of the research conferences of the Deutsche Bundesbank by year.

The global financial crisis was a lesson that it is not enough to merely monitor the stability of individual banks – the stability of the banking sector as a whole is also a crucial factor, which is precisely what the countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB), a key instrument under the Basel III regime, is there to help safeguard. However, recent research indicates that adhering too strictly to the reference indicator envisaged under the Basel III framework might lead to a situation in which supervisors activate the CCyB either too late or not at all ahead of a future financial crisis.

Every year, BaFin and the Deutsche Bundesbank draw up their priorities for the supervision of less significant institutions (LSIs) in Germany. This is intended to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources, especially in terms of risk-oriented supervision.

How much does a cash payment cost? How long does it take? What costs arise at which points? And how do cash payments compare with cashless payments in terms of costs? Answers to these and other questions are provided by this study on the costs of cash payments in the retail sector, contributing to the debate on the efficiency of payments at the point of sale (POS).

The June 2019 edition of the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report outlines the prospects for the German economy on the basis of projections for 2019 and 2020 and looks ahead at the year 2021. It also covers the overhaul of European banking regulation and features an analysis of the costs associated with different means of payment in the retail sector. Lastly, the changing face of payments services is explored, with reference to instant payments, PSD2 and new competitors.