Structural developments in global financial intermediation: The rise of debt and non-bank credit intermediation

This paper examines global credit intermediation through the lens of financial markets and financial intermediaries in the post-crisis period during which highly accommodative monetary policies contributed to investors’ search for yield. It reviews the extent to which non-bank intermediation contributed to the rise of sovereign and corporate debt levels and exuberance in global credit markets. It also assesses forms of market-based finance that are contributing to financial vulnerabilities, including leverage loans and collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), fixed-income investment funds, and bank contingent convertible debt. Post-crisis policy frameworks should adapt to the shift toward market-based finance in many countries to allow better consideration of the interactions between monetary, prudential, and regulatory tools with respect to credit intermediation and risks. Policies should also consider the optimal combination of macroprudential and activities-based tools in non-bank credit intermediation to address vulnerabilities without undermining the benefits of market-based finance.