Mapping the Shadow Banking System Through a Global Flow of Funds Analysis

Abstract

This paper presents an approach to understanding the shadow banking system in the United States using a new Global Flow of Funds (GFF) conceptual framework developed by the IMF’s Statistics Department (STA). The GFF uses external stock and flow matrices to map claims between sector-location pairs. Our findings highlight the large positions and gross flows of the U.S. banking sector (ODCs) and its interconnectedness with the banking sectors in the Euro area and the United Kingdom. European counterparties are large holders of U.S. other financial corporations (OFCs) debt securities. We explore the relationship between credit to domestic entities and the growth of non-core liabilities. We find that external debt liabilities of the financial sector are procyclical and are closely aligned with domestic credit growth.

Keywords: Banking systems, United States, Shadow economy, Capital flows, International capital markets, Shadow Banking, Global Flow of Funds, Financial Stability, Data Gaps, banking sector, banking statistics, bank for international settlements, bank liabilities, banking activities, banking sectors, var model, debt securities, off balance sheet, bank balance sheets, offshore banking, domestic credit, banking sector assets, government finance, bank offices, banking business, central banking, bank credit, banking accounts, bank monitoring

JEL Classification: F30, F65, G01, G20, G15