A key weakness of proposals to repair financial markets is that they do not emphasise enough the role of private investors in disciplining banks, says guest columnist Harald Benink

There must be no knee-jerk reactions when it comes to accounting and valuation issues thrown up by the current financial turmoil. Paul Chisnall gives an industry perspective

The main accounting and valuation issues arising from the current market turmoil are: valuation of positions measured at fair value in temporarily illiquid markets; disclosure requirements; and consolidation of off balance sheet vehicles such as structured investment vehicles, or SIVs, and commercial paper conduits

CHICAGO, Illinois, May 15 (Global Risk Regulator) – America’s relatively lengthy transition to the controversial Basel II bank safety rules will allow more opportunity to absorb the lessons of current financial turmoil and to make necessary adjustments to the framework, US Federal Reserve Board of Governors chairman Ben Bernanke said today.

BOSTON, Massachusetts, May 14 (Global Risk Regulator) – US banking supervisors hope to provide some more information in the next month or so about their expectations for banks’ plans for implementing the controversial Basel II safety rules, according to a top federal supervisor.

LONDON, May 8 (Global Risk Regulator) – The credit crisis is entering its later stages, but the process of deleveraging in the financial system still has further to go, US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson believes.

LONDON, May 1 (Global Risk Regulator) – More frequent disclosures by financial firms, using a common accounting template, could have merit both in normal times and especially in times of stress, the Bank of England says.

BASEL, Switzerland, April 25 (Global Risk Regulator) – Scenario stress testing should incorporate the self-reinforcing behaviour shown up by the credit crisis, the world’s banking, insurance and securities market regulators say today in a joint report on risk concentration.

Regulators are moving ahead rapidly with a weighty reform agenda for 2008. Bankers insist they can clean up their own mess By Melvyn Westlake

Blueprint proposes most far-reaching reforms of regulatory system for 75 years. As battle lines are drawn, is implementation likely? By Melvyn Westlake