Laurence Kotlikoff, economics professor at Boston University, writes an open letter to Lord Turner, chairman of the UK’s financial regulator, the FSA. Lord Turner examines Prof Kotlikoff’s proposal for a radical reform of the institutional structure for credit extension in a new book, The Future of Finance. This a two-part open letter; the second part will be published on the FT’s Economists’ Forum on Tuesday July 20.

Adair Turner’s Misplaced Concerns About Limited Purpose Banking

Dear Adair,

Your chapter in the just released Future of Finance is masterful. But the very strong concerns you express about Limited Purpose Banking are, I believe, misleading, misdirected, and rather surprising since LPB delivers precisely the reforms you advocate.

Let me respond in italics to the specifics of what you wrote (the bold text) and then indicate why LPB does what you say you want. Read more