The October 2017 Monthly Report analyses emerging market economies’ global liquidity, foreign reserves and exchange rates and contains an article on developments in the natural interest rate. In addition, the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process for smaller institutions and proportionality considerations are described, and the initial results of the new money market statistics as well as the new insurance statistics are presented.

Money, whether in the form of banknotes, coins, or digital credits in our bank accounts, is at the heart of nearly everything we do in modern life. But we rarely give it any sustained thought. What, after all, is money, really? How does it work? Where does it come from? Who controls the banks? How does monetary policy work, and what roles do central banks play in its use?

Rund 250 Experten aus der Finanz- und Kreditwirtschaft waren der Einladung der Bundesbank nach Frankfurt am Main gefolgt und nutzten die Gelegenheit, um über aktuelle Themen, Innovationen und Trends in der Branche zu diskutieren.

The September 2017 Monthly Report contains an article on monetary policy indicators at the zero lower bound on the basis of term structure models, and an analysis of the performance of German credit institutions in 2016. Explanations are also provided on the potential and risks of distributed ledger technologies in payments and securities settlement and on the changes and results in the process of extending the investment fund statistics.

The August 2017 Monthly Report comments on the economic situation in Germany in summer 2017.