Kevin Wolfe

Kevin Wolfe(opens in new window), who graduated with a BA in Economics in 1984, is an examiner at the Federal reserve Bank of San Francisco(opens in new window) (FRBSF).  Before joining the Federal Reserve, Kevin worked as a bank examiner, testing the safety and soundness of large banks for the California Department of Financial Institutions from 2000 to 2008.  In the middle of 2008 he took a position as examiner with the FRBSF where he is currently working.

“I use of economics directly in my job,” Kevin stated in a recent email.  “I recently worked on the Comprehensive Capital Assessment and Review (CCAR) of large banks, where I used the statistics and modeling that I first learned in economics courses.  Also, currently I am keeping close watch on the yield curve because the difference between the 2-yr and 10-yr treasury is only 25bps. If the yield curve inverts and a recession ensues, I get very busy at work.  More than anything though economics is the lens from which I view the world.  When reviewing the earnings of a bank or even a commercial loan in a bank’s loan portfolio, I rely on economic concepts like supply and demand, substitutions, and opportunity cost.  Many, if not most of my colleagues are economics majors.  It applies very well to bank regulation.”   (Last Updated 11/12/18)