The Geldcast update

From stock exchanges and bitcoin to inflation and monetary policy – the Geldcast update features the latest from the world of international finance, hosted by Fabio Canetg.

Subscribe to the Geldcast update in English on YouTubeExternal link. And you can find many more episodes in German on iTunesExternal link, SpotifyExternal link, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Credit Suisse: Do banks need more capital?

Would more capital have saved Credit Suisse? Why are banks unstable in the first place and would higher capital ratios help prevent the failure of banks like Credit Suisse? Or are there better regulatory approaches?

Why are central banks independent? 

The new Brazilian president is putting a lot of pressure on his central bank. But how is he doing this? And how independent are central banks really?

ECB: Forward guidance or meeting-by-meeting?

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central bank (ECB), has recently caused a lot of confusion with her communication. One reason for this is that she was not properly understood. How does Lagarde’s announcement fit in with the meeting-by-meeting approach?

The Swiss cash initiative

Swiss citizens look set to vote on a people’s initiative to try to ensure their economy never becomes cashless. What do the campaigners behind the idea really want? Who is behind this popular initiative? What are their aims? And what are the arguments for still printing coins and banknotes and using cash these days?

Should the Swiss National Bank distribute more money to the government? 

In many countries, the issue of how much profit central banks redistribute to the population remains complex. This is also the case in Switzerland, where there are arguments for and against higher profit distributions by the Swiss National Bank (SNB).

Why the Swiss National Bank cannot go bankrupt

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will make a loss of CHF132 billion in 2022, and distribution of profits to the confederation and the cantons will be suspended. What does this mean for the stability of the SNB and what would happen if it faces another large loss?

Stock market downturn: Are Swiss pensions still safe? 

Since the beginning of the year, stock markets have gone down significantly. This also affects pension funds. Things change quickly on financial markets: as recently as in January 2022, future liabilities of Swiss pension funds were covered by large reserves. Since then, the so-called coverage ratio has fallen from around 120 percent to below 105 percent. 

Stagflation: Tough decisions ahead for central banks

In more and more countries, the economy is weakening noticeably. At the same time, inflation is still way too high. This poses a dilemma for central banks: should they continue to raise interest rates to fight inflation, or should they lower interest rates to support the economy?

What to do about mortgage rates that are hitting the roof?

Interest rates for mortgages in Switzerland have almost tripled since the beginning of the year. If you want to build something or you need to renew your mortgage, you have to decide between a fixed-rate mortgage and a SARON (Swiss Average Rate Overnight) mortgage. Which is currently more worthwhile?

Positive interest rates, negative effects?

The Swiss National Bank (SNB)’s decision to raise interest rates to 0.5% is a clear sign of its intention to tackle high inflation. But with the institution now forced to pay out interest on deposits lodged by commercial banks, the SNB will have less profits to distribute to the Swiss federal government and cantons.

Phillips curve: Do we need a recession to fight inflation?

What is the current situation? Are central banks able to fight rising inflation in any other way other than high unemployment? What does the latest research say about this question? Find out in the latest Geldcast podcastExternal link.

The Swiss National Bank denies accusations of sexism

A Swiss National Bank (SNB) top official has rejected allegations of sexism and discrimination in the workplace as “simply incorrect”. SWI swissinfo.ch looks at the controversy in the latest Geldcast podcast.

Swiss National Bank: ‘There is no right to secrecy’

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is very opaque by international standards. That has to change, says Yvan Lengwiler, professor of economics at the University of Basel. He explains his proposals in the latest Geldcast update.

Ukrainian refugees cannot convert their cash into Swiss Francs

Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Switzerland with cash are finding it hard to exchange their hryvnia currency into Swiss francs. In the latest Geldcast podcast, some of the possible solutions are discussed.

How is the US labour market doing?

As the United States and Switzerland emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, both nations’ labour markets appear in reasonably good shape. In this episode, we take a closer look at the most important US labour market indicators.

The future of money

More than 80% of central banks around the world are looking into central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The Swiss National Bank is one of them. What is in store for us?

Afghanistan is running out of cash

Afghanistan is running out of foreign cash, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the population. In a recent editorial, the New York Times proposed the release of some of the blocked Afghan central bank money. What difference would that make? How did this situation get so bad?

7%: Why is US inflation so high?

Inflation in the United States is higher than it has been for decades. What are the reasons for this? And are prices now also rising in Switzerland?

Lessons from interest rate problems

The Australian central bank is being attacked by the markets and is losing control over interest rates. Something similar happened to the Swiss National Bank in 2015 with the minimum exchange rate for the euro. But what is behind this?

Monetary policy and the climate crisis

For years, central banks have been called upon to do more to combat climate change. Now a new monetary policy instrument is being discussed as a way forward.

Candidates for the SNB Governing Board

A new discussion has flared up around the Swiss National Bank (SNB): Who will eventually succeed the current SNB president Thomas Jordan?

Research Conferences in Monetary Economics

Hardly any other policy area is as strongly influenced by research as monetary policy. But how openly central banks talk about the latest research results varies greatly. This is exemplified by last week’s research conference at the European Central Bank (ECB).

About the host

Fabio CanetgExternal link completed his doctorate in monetary policy at the University of Bern and the Toulouse School of Economics. Today he is a lecturer at the University of Bern.

As a journalist, he works for SRF Arena, Republik Magazin and SWI swissinfo.ch.

For more audio content from SWI swissinfo.ch, explore Inside Geneva, a podcast with straight talk with people dealing with the world’s challenges in Geneva, humanity’s global hub.