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 March 2019 edition of the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report sheds light on Germany’s balance of payments for 2018 and it analyses the demand for cash in the shadow economy.

The Bundesbank posted a profit of € 2.5 billion for the 2018 financial year, representing a year-on-year increase of € 0.5 billion. This increase was due to higher interest income, noted Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann.

The February 2019 edition of the Monthly Report comments on the economic situation in Germany in winter 2018/2019.

The Bundesbank has conducted an analysis of how internal capital adequacy is ensured within the German banking market. The results are generally positive, but most of the institutions still show a need for further structural improvement.

The January 2019 edition of the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report looks into how a normalisation of interest rates will impact on balance sheets in the euro area’s private non-financial sector and explores price competitiveness in a number of euro area countries in terms of the development, drivers and influence of labour market reforms. The Report also features an analysis of financial cycles in the euro area and sheds light on International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 9 from a banking supervision angle.

The December 2018 edition of the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report outlines the prospects for the German economy on the basis of projections for 2019 and 2020, with a look ahead at the year 2021. It also features an analysis of German enterprises’ profitability and financing conditions in 2017 as well as an article on the amount, profitability and risks of cross-border assets in Germany’s external position.