"Stress tests are the most innovative regulatory tool to prevent and fight financial crises. Their use has fundamentally changed the mathematical modeling of financial systems, financial risk management in the public and private sector, and the policies designed to prevent and mitigate financial...

During the financial crisis, financial firm leverage and volatility both rose dramatically. Consequently, institutions are being asked to reduce leverage in order to reduce risk, though the effectiveness depends upon the role of capital structure in volatility. To address this question, we build...