The belief that some banks are too big to fail (TBTF) became reality during the financial crisis of 2007-2009 when the biggest banks in the United States were bailed out. Since then, big banks have grown much bigger and have become increasingly complex. This development has led to far greater...

In this paper and the associated online database, we provide new data and measures of bank regulatory and supervisory policies in 180 countries from 1999 to 2011. The data include and the measures are based upon responses to hundreds of questions, including information on permissible bank...

Big is bad. At least that has become the view of many individuals about big banks ever since the financial crisis of 2007-2009. The fear is that if a big bank gets into trouble, its problems will infect other financial institutions and threaten the entire economy. Historically, however, big...

China has weathered the global financial turmoil in much better shape than most other countries, including the United States. However, there been concerns that banks loosened their lending standards too much as a result of a huge stimulus, among other factors. This led to excessive lending to...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss and then analyze the interdependency between bank and sovereign risk before, during and after the financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach: Our approach is based upon an examination of 44 large banks headquartered in 13 countries. Eight of...

Greece's debt-to-GDP ratio is reaching unsustainable levels. But why should the debt load of such a small country cause such outsized tremors in global financial markets?Greek debt may be relatively small, but a sufficient amount is held by a few major banks in Europe to cause disruptions to the...

Payday lenders are not everyone's favorite firms. Many individuals consider the typical 300 to 400 percent interest rate that they charge typically on a $300 two-week loan outrageously high. Many assert that payday lenders are engaging in predatory lending because relatively low-income and...

In 1865, the first minority bank in the United States was established. Over time, banks owned or controlled by minorities have grown in number. Yet, one hundred and fifty years later, they still account for only 2.8 percent of all banks. The contribution of this paper is fourfold. First, it...

Banks have long relied on a number of funding sources, including equity capital, non-brokered and brokered deposits, and other liabilities, to make various types of loans and investments. And for almost as long, bank regulatory authorities have imposed various restrictions and costs on those...