We explore an inconsistency in the Basel Committee's Internal Ratings Based (IRB) rules: the IRB rules on corporate loans were calibrated to loan-level data, while the IRB rules on small business loans were calibrated with little, if any, information on small business loans. We argue that the...

We explore an inconsistency in the Basel Committee's Internal Ratings Based (IRB) rules: the IRB rules on corporate loans were calibrated to loan-level data, while the IRB rules on small business loans were calibrated with little, if any, information on small business loans. We argue that the...

Do large credit risk shocks spillover to small businesses and affect their real economic activity? Using information on small business credit risk, we find that small businesses experience increased default and bankruptcy rates following a shock to a customer industry. On an industry level, the...