Safe Bank

The article presents key experience in the field of resolution from three non-European perspectives. The general overview of the cooperative banking system in Japan, Canada and Colombia is presented, followed by in depth characteristic of the resolution authority, policies, instruments as well as experiences in their application. The analysis is summarized by presenting directions of development in the field of supervision and resolution regime, currently being under development. Conclusions can be valuable material for both the cooperatives themselves and for entities responsible for supervision and shaping the regulatory environment.

German and polish cooperative banking sector was the study subject. The aim of our reasearch was to determine the most important differences and similarities in the development processes and in economic situation between Polish and German cooperative banks in the period between 2010–2017. The research method used in our study was the comparative analysis of banking systems. We examined changes in the number of banks, the dynamics of the balance sheet, the number of branches, the number of employees and members, financial efficiency, capital adequacy and liquidity of cooperative banks. The obtained results of this study show relatively large differences in development processes within changes in the number of banks and bank branches. Different trends also occur in the development of the membership base. Smaller differences were identified in terms of financial efficiency and financial stability. Productivity improved in both sectors, however in Germany this was due to the decline in the number of banks rather than the increase in the value of assets. The main conclusion from the research is the statement that German cooperative banks in 2010–2017 went through a process of deeper restructuring and consolidation than Polish cooperative banks.

Even though the Polish cooperative banks were affected by the global crisis only indirectly, yet after the crisis their condition has begun to deteriorate. This was the result of numerous changes taking place within the macroeconomic and regulatory environment. This paper is to present the regulatory prerequisites for operation of cooperative banks in Poland in the post crisis period, and to de?ine the impact of crucial post-crisis regulations passed by the EU and the domestic bodies on the competitive position, and the directions in which the organizational model of domestic cooperative banking was to evolve. The analysis comprised of selected EU and domestic legal acts (CRDIV/CRR package, the directives for DGS and BRR, PSD2, and internal tax regulations). Three conclusions were formulated on the basis of the conducted analysis: 1) the regulatory solutions to date envisaged privileges mainly for IPS members, whilst the proportionality principle was applied to a limited extent, 2) regulatory privileges make the evolution of the Polish cooperative banking organizational model towards IPS imminent, 3) coopetition with ?intechs and joint (eg at the IPS level) entry into the segment of technological innovations may contribute to the expansion of the product offering and increasing the copetitiveness of Polish cooperative banks.

The 2008 crisis and post-crisis restructurisation have reviled many weaknesses and threats in the banking system, related both to growing regulatory costs and negative phenomena in the banking environment. They have affected both commercial and cooperative banks. Currently, another challenge is posed by the rapidly growing fintech sector and the growing importance of new technologies in the banking market. The attitude to new technologies will be one of the fundamental problems in strategic decisions of banks in the coming years. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to analyze what threats are currently faced by the Polish banking sector, especially cooperative banks, related to new technologies and a new competitive environment. In the empirical part of the paper, the authors analyses, based on a banking survey, whether in the opinion of commercial and cooperative banks, new technologies and competition with the fintech sector will bring a significant increase in risk and uncertainty in their further activity, or whether will help to strengthen the position of banks and the banking market. The question whether the response to digitization differs significantly between commercial and cooperative banks was particularly important.

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the competitive position of the cooperative banks as well as their ability to create the growth trends and effectively acquire new customers on the retail banking market in Poland. The analysis included the market shares, customer potential and sales effectiveness in bank branches. The cooperative banks do not fully use their advantages in building their competitive advantage what is mainly based on the niche areas where the cooperative banks operate and the service costs as well as the circumstances of operating on the local market. A loyalty of the traditional customers contributes to their high market shares, but these banks are not preferred by the prospective customers. Market conditions are unfavorable from the perspective of cooperative banks and their future market position.

The aim of the study presented in the article is to identify determinants of the financial liquidity of the Polish cooperative banks between 2008 and 2016. The author characterizes post-crisis regulations concerning financial liquidity of banks’ and presents the review of research results available in the literature regarding financial liquidity determinants of banks. The panel data research applied by the author includes 350 cooperative banks operating in Poland (being a part of the BPS SA association). The research shows that the level of banks short-term financial liquidity depends, among others, on the level of banking sector concentration, the market short-term interest rate, deposit policies, profitability, solvency ratios, and active credit policies. In the case of long-term financial liquidity, it has been proved that its level is influenced by GDP dynamics in the region of operations (for large banks) and the capital adequacy ratio (for small and medium-sized banks). The following factors were also significant for both types of liquidity: the size of the bank, the NPL level and the working assets share in total assets.

The 2007–2009 financial crisis changed the structure of banks liabilities and their cost of funds. A disclosure of the credit and liquidity risk induced diminished significance of wholesale sources of funds in favour of retail funds. Simultaneously, incomes on the asset side maintained to be dependent on the interbank interest rate benchmark. In Poland, due to the dominance of floating rate mortgages, income on the asset side is determined by the WIBOR rate. The article points out the basis risk created by the assets indexation divergent with the cost of liabilities. The analysis was performed both for cooperative and commercial banks including their foreign currency portfolios. The evidence suggests a divergence between the available money market benchmark and the price determinants that have influence on the interest result generated on bank’s liabilities.

The article deals with the issues related to biometric security and their use in the financial institutions. Its purpose is to present and evaluate contemporarily used biometrics and depict conclusions got from the study exploring the usable culture of biometric security. The considerations presented in this article show that society is aware of electronic crimes, and that the automated security systems based on biometrics that increase the level of security, may be the future for many organizations – including the financial ones. The article presents the increase in popularity in the use of biometrics and exposes the behavior of the average user of banking services in the 21st century. The article also describes the legal aspects of biometric security and, basing on the survey results, indicates the direction of development for financial institutions.