Several studies have addressed, with conflicting results, the issue of procyclical effects of loan loss provisions in the past. More recently, the weak performance of incurred loss models in the financial crisis has given rise to a new debate on the sound design of credit risk provisioning...

The German Commercial Code ("HGB") allows banks to build visible reserves for general banking risks according to section 340g HGB. These "GBR reserves" may, in addition to their risk provisioning function, be used to enhance capital endowment, for internal financing, signaling or earnings...

Based on a unique data set of 909 defaulted retail and commercial (self-employed and SMEs) credit customers in Germany, whose original loans were made by 123 different banks, our article confirms a significant positive influence of collateral, and of amicable agreements between the debtor and...