Lending money at interest was identified with usury, or making money from money rather than from goods and services a distinction that goes back to Aristotle, for whom money was barren.

But, as GIPS central bank lending came at the expense of central bank lending within the eurozone s exporting countries, the policy amounted to a forced capital export from these countries to the GIPS.

Lending in the Dark

At first blush, this seems absurd Why would anyone want to lend money for a negative nominal return when they could simply hold on to the cash and at least not lose in nominal terms?

Occupy the Mortgage Lenders

Financial markets were eager to lend to these households, in part because the credit markets were deregulated, which served as an invitation to reckless lending.

As banks curtail lending to each other, to other financial institutions, and to the corporate sector, central banks are becoming the only lenders around.

The sense of panic has subsided. Banks are once again lending to each other.

Borrowing costs for the Spanish and Italian governments have similarly fallen dramatically.

Large banks tend to lend to large companies in order to save costs.

The last legal restrictions on taking interest on money were lifted only in the nineteenth century, when they succumbed to the economic argument that lending money was a service, for which the lender was entitled to charge whatever the market would bear.

Around sixty sub prime lenders have already gone bankrupt.

There also exist programs that are conducted in the form of micro crediting with a favorable credit rate.

The transition marked the establishment of the Territory's first commercial lending operation.

The US government is now insuring, lending or spending over 10 trillion from guaranteeing money market funds to the AIG bailout to the Fed s swap lines supporting foreign central banks.

This money should be loaned out to small and medium size enterprises, which are the lifeblood of Europe s economy.

Under the umbrella of common deposit insurance, US savings banks made a gamble for resurrection borrowing excessively from their depositors and lending the money out to risky enterprises, knowing that potential profits could be paid out as dividends to shareholders while potential losses would be socialized.

But then the same people typically smile and point out that investors from other parts of the world still want to lend the US vast amounts of money, keeping long term interest rates low and allowing the country to run big deficits for the foreseeable future.

Reckless lending to the Greek state was based on European creditors terrible decision making.

Bank loans have started to increase, but small borrowers, new borrowers, and start up companies are regularly refused.

Indeed, US legislation strictly forbids the Fed from lending to non depository institutions, except in emergencies.

And never in its history has the Fed lent to non depository institutions.

Meanwhile, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank have stopped lending to high emission coal plants.

The new normal that results will likely include scarcer, more expensive long term bank lending.

The best money is not so much smart as it is experienced.

While governments might offer attractive liquidity facilities, banks will be unable to on lend the funds.

Detractors ultimately fall back on the argument that multilateral lending to middle income countries is waning along with demand.

For example, for all of the hand wringing about America s national debt, investors will continue to loan the US money.

It should push for the creation of an emergency lending facility, and for political integration to make that feasible.

As markets underpriced risk in order to lend to increasingly indebted countries, pressure on interest rates diminished.

A recent IMF study shows that better regulation would indeed nudge banks lending rates up, but by relatively little.

As the eurozone s central bank, rather than a lending institution, it does not have a clear role in negotiations on behalf of creditors.

Lending to foreign governments is in many ways inherently riskier than unsecured private debt or junk bonds.

Lending to states thus involves unfathomable risks that ought to be borne by specialized players who are willing to live with the consequences.

If this lending approach to southern countries continues, their solvency and economic recovery will suffer.

In Italy, the difficulties arise from banks continued lending to domestic companies, especially small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), while GDP has stagnated.

Some critics argue that lending public money to middle income countries is no longer necessary, due to their access to financial markets.

The new Consumer Financial Protection Board is also a deterrent, as banks consider it safer to lend to the government, large corporations, and giant real estate speculators.

I have long advocated shifting the Bank s center of gravity from lending to outright grants, a policy that the Bush administration strongly endorses.

The next challenge will be to push for a restoration of bank capital, so that commercial banks can once again lend for longer term investments.

The key is to reflect on six kinds of capital goods business capital, infrastructure, human capital, intellectual capital, natural capital, and social capital.

She refused to accept the money.

Where's the money?

Capitals of Capital

Finance Agonistes