This paper examines how differences in state foreclosure laws influence the incidence of default in the residential mortgage market. Specifically, we examine how judicial review requirements, lenders' recourse rights (deficiency judgments), and state assistance programs for distressed borrowers...

We examine changes in debt structure when firms experience financial distress. At these points in time, firms refinance and undergo substantial changes in priority structure. Specifically, we find that firms di- versify their priority structure relative to its pre-distress composition. We show,...

We examine how firms hedge in financial distress. Using hand-collected data from oil and gas producers, we find that derivative portfolios in these firms are characterized by short put options. These positions are part of a composite three-way collar strategy that combines buying put options and...