Using a unique dataset of the Euro-area and the U.S. bank lending standards, we find that low (monetary policy) short-term interest rates soften standards for household and corporate loans. This softening--especially for mortgages--is amplified by securitization activity, weak supervision for...

We analyze the impact on lending standards of monetary policy rates and macroprudential policy before the 2008 crisis, and of monetary rates and long-term public liquidity during the crisis. Exploiting the euro-area institutional setting for monetary and prudential policy and using the Bank...

Accounting scholars and policy-makers have expressed concern about the quality of accounting data. Because earnings and capital management practices alter the information content of accounting statements, we ask whether a transparent smoothing device such as the statistical provision - a...

This paper examines whether financial constraints affect firms’ investment decisions for older (larger) firms. We compare a group of unbanked firms to firms that rely on formal financing. Specifically, we combine data from the Spanish Mercantile Registry and the Bank of Spain Credit Registry...