Financial System Research Centre

On this page we showcase our latest research and analysis, conferences and partnerships with researchers outside the Bank.

About the FSRC

The FSRC will advance high-quality financial system research in Canada to inform policy and improve the economic and financial well-being of Canadians. The Centre showcases the Bank’s latest financial system research and analysis, helping us to build partnerships with researchers outside the Bank. We will also host an annual conference highlighting financial system research from Canada and around the world, including our own research and the results of our joint research ventures.


Research

Our goal is to advance the understanding of the structure, function and evolution of the Canadian financial system. This is essential to the core functions of the Bank. Our in-depth research helps identify risks and shapes policy by addressing issues in financial markets, banking, payments systems and other matters in the financial system.

The Interplay of Financial Education, Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Financial Stability: Any Lessons for the Current Big Tech Era?

The objective of this paper is twofold. First, we assess whether financial education might be a suitable tool to promote the financial inclusion opportunities that big techs provide. Second, we study how this potential financial inclusion could impact financial stability.
Nicole Jonker
Nicole Jonker
Anneke Kosse
Anneke Kosse
August 14, 2020

Primary Dealers and the Demand for Government Debt

The main objectives of debt management are to raise stable and low-cost funding to meet the government’s financial needs and to maintain a well-functioning market for government securities.
Jason Allen
Jason Allen
Jakub Kastl
Jakub Kastl
Milena Wittwer
Milena Wittwer
July 8, 2020

Why Fixed Costs Matter for Proof-of-Work Based Cryptocurrencies

Can Bitcoin survive? Some say it will become vulnerable to attacks as the rewards for processing Bitcoin transactions continue to decline. The economics of fixed costs suggest the specialized hardware used to mine Bitcoin may be key to its survival.
Rod Garratt
Rod Garratt
Maarten van Oordt
Maarten van Oordt
July 6, 2020

Dynamic Competition in Negotiated Price Markets

Repeated interactions between borrowers and lenders create the possibility of dynamic pricing: lenders compete aggressively with low prices to attract new borrowers and then raise their prices once borrowers have made a commitment. We find such pricing patterns in the Canadian mortgage market.
Jason Allen
Jason Allen
Shaoteng Li
Shaoteng Li
June 5, 2020

The Term Structures of Loss and Gain Uncertainty

We investigate the uncertainty around stock returns at different investment horizons. Since a return is either a loss or a gain, we categorize return uncertainty into two components—loss uncertainty and gain uncertainty. We then use these components to evaluate investment.
Bruno Feunou
Bruno Feunou
Ricardo Lopez Aliouchkin
Ricardo Lopez Aliouchkin
Roméo Tedongap
Roméo Tedongap
Lai Xu
Lai Xu
June 5, 2020

How Do Mortgage Rate Resets Affect Consumer Spending and Debt Repayment? Evidence from Canadian Consumers

We study the causal effect of mortgage rate changes on consumer spending, debt repayment and defaults during an expansionary and a contractionary monetary policy episode in Canada. We find asymmetric responses of consumer durable spending, deleveraging and defaults. These findings help us to understand household sector response to interest rate changes.
Katya Kartashova
Katya Kartashova
Xiaoqing Zhou
Xiaoqing Zhou
May 19, 2020

Conferences

We regularly bring together researchers from academic and policy institutions at conferences that discuss financial system relevant topics such as banking regulation, housing markets, retail payments, and the next generation of central bank models.

Debt Management Modelling Workshop

The Bank of Canada is hosting a one-day workshop focusing on advances in models and frameworks for sovereign debt management.
April 24, 2020

Conference on the Economics of Central Bank Digital Currency

This two-day conference, jointly organized by the Bank of Canada and Sveriges Riksbank, was held in Ottawa, Ontario. The event provided a forum for central bankers and academic researchers to discuss arguments for and against the issuance of central bank digital currencies.
October 17, 2019

Joint Macroeconomic Workshop in Tokyo

The Bank of Canada, together with the Bank of Japan and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, held the first joint workshop on macroeconomic issues for central banks. Participants discussed household inequality, labour-market dynamics, and monetary and fiscal policy.
September 27, 2019

External Partnerships

We value research partnerships and offer opportunities for experienced and promising researchers in a variety of fields.

External Academic Consultants

Academic consultants and researchers working with the Bank have access to some unique data sets and are often granted an individual-level view of household and business choices. Notable experts in the field have started to collaborate with our staff to explore these data sets. Evren Damar and Sebastien Bertermier share their experiences working with us.

PhD Internship Program

As a PhD student, you will spend two to four months pursuing your dissertation as well as presenting and promoting your research. Within this environment, you will find a wealth of opportunities to grow and build your professional expertise and network with fellow Bank researchers as well as external academics who visit regularly.

Visiting Scholar Program

Information on the Bank of Canada’s collaborative research program for outstanding scholars