In 1996, Congress passed the Interstate Banking andBranching Efficiency Act, which allowed banks to branch across state lines andto purchase banks in any state.This act contributed to an increase inexpansion-seeking banks.The focus here is on the ways in which thesestructural changes in banking...

[...]This paper examines some of the potential consequences ofGLB for the structure of the U.S. financial services industry. Init, we ask how the industry may evolve as this new legislationinteracts with the consolidation trend already under way, whattypes of mergers are most likely to occur,...

[...]Our analysis suggests that much of the efficiencyimprovement brought about by branching was attributable to a selection process whereby better performing banksexpanded at the expense of poorer performers. It appears thatthe branching restrictions acted as a ceiling on the size...

[...]In this article, we explore the relationship betweenfranchise value and risk taking over the 1986-94 period.We extend Keeley’s empirical analysis by estimating theeffect of franchise value on a variety of measures of bankrisk. We find an inverse relationship between franchisevalue and an...