In existing theory, wealth is no more valuable than its implied consumption rewards. In reality, investors acquire wealth not just for its implied consumption but for the resulting social status. Max M. Weber (1958) refers to this desire for wealth as the spirit of capitalism. The authors...

We compare key CDO assumptions from two departments within the same rating agency but with different financial incentives. Assumptions made by the ratings division are more favorable than those by the surveillance department. The differences are not explained by collateral switching during the...