The new Basel II regulation contains a number of new regulatory features. Most importantly, internal ratings will be given a central role in the evaluation of the riskiness of bank loans. Another novelty is that retail credit and loans to small and medium-sized enterprises will receive a special...

In this paper we apply a bivariate probit model to investigate the implications of bank lending policy. In the first equation we model the bank's decision to grant a loan, in the second the probability of default. We confirm that banks provide loans in a way that is not consistent with default...

Macroeconomic and microeconomic data paint conflicting pictures of price behavior. Macroeconomic data suggest that inflation is inertial. Microeconomic data indicate that firms change prices frequently. We formulate and estimate a model which resolves this apparent micro - macro conflict. Our...