Financial innovation has been described as the "life blood of efficient and responsive capital markets." Yet, few quantitative investigations have studied financial innovations and the diffusion of these new technologies. In this paper, we examine the diffusion of one such technology: credit...

AbstractThe following sections are included:IntroductionBackground1Three Usual SuspectsCredit Default SwapsStructured Investment VehiclesSecuritizationConclusionsReferences

This paper reviews the extant empirical studies of financial innovation. Adopting broad criteria and spanning a long time horizon, we found surprisingly few studies (39), with most (23) having been conducted since 1998. Especially striking is that only two studies test hypotheses advanced in...

The roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have become increasingly controversial in the modern world of residential mortgage finance. We describe the special features of these two companies and their roles in the mortgage markets. We then discuss the controversies that surround them and offer...