Bank consolidation is a global phenomenon that may enhance stakeholders' value if managers do not sacrifice value to build empires. We find strong evidence of managerial entrenchment at U.S. bank holding companies that have higher levels of managerial ownership, better growth opportunities,...

Do checking accounts help banks monitor borrowers? A borrower’s checking account provides a bank with exclusive access to a continuous stream of borrower data, namely, the borrower’s checking account balances at the bank. Using a unique set of data that includes monthly and annual...