We investigate the role of prudential supervisors' independence in affecting income smoothing behavior in European banks. Powerful national supervisors are predicted to influence the accounting practices of their supervised entities, shaping the properties of the accounting numbers they prepare....

We present an analysis of VaR forecasts and P&L-series of all 13 German banks that used internal models for regulatory purposes in the year 2001. To this end, we introduce the notion of well-behaved forecast systems. Furthermore, we provide a series of statistical tools to perform our analyses....

The last financial crisis has shown that large banking crises not only pose a highly dangerous risk to financial systems, but also to both the real economy and public finances. Reducing that risk has become a priority for regulators and governments. Still, the debate is open on what the systemic...