IMF Working Paper

In recent years many countries have made drastic changes to the architecture of financial
supervision, and more countries are contemplating modifications. The current restructuring
wave is making the supervisory landscape less uniform than in the past. In several countries the
architecture still reflects the classic model, with separate agencies for banking, securities and
insurance supervision. However, an increasing number of countries show a trend towards
consolidation of supervisory powers, which in some cases has culminated in the establishment
of a unified regulator, either inside or outside the central bank.