We propose a simple network–based methodology for ranking systemically important financial institutions. We view the risks of firms –including both the financial sector and the real economy– as a network with nodes representing the volatility shocks. The metric for the connections of the...

This discussion paper resulted in a publication in <I>The North American Journal of Economics and Finance</I> (2014). Volume 29(C), pages 381-401.<P> This paper investigates the stock returns and volatility size effects for firm performance in the Taiwan tourism industry, especially the impacts arising...</p></i>

The ING Illiquid Assets Back-up Facility announced January 2009 was a SWAP-based insurance to reduce ING’s exposure to Alt-A related risk. Did the deal involve state aid? Usingmarketprices to evaluate the SWAP directly is impossible because markets for Alt-A based CDOs had collapsed. We...

A banking union limits international bank default contagion, eliminating inefficient liquidations. For particularly low short term returns, it also stimulates interbank flows. Both effects improve welfare. An undesirable effect arises for moderate moral hazard, as the banking union encourages...

We study the dependence between the downside risk of European banks and insurers. Since the downside risk of banks and insurers differs, an interesting question from a supervisory point of view is the risk reduction that derives from diversification within large banks and financial...

Under the new Capital Accord, banks choose between two different types of risk management systems, the standard or the internal rating based approach. The paper considers how a bank's preference for a risk management system is affected by the presence of supervision by bank regulators. The model...

This survey reviews the literature on the political economy of financial structure, broadly defined to include the size of capital markets and banking systems as well as the distribution of access to external finance across firms.The theoretical literature on the institutional basis for...

While financial liberalization has in general favorable effects, reforms in countries with poor regulation is often followed by financial crises. We explain this variation as the outcome of lobbying interests capturing the reform process. Even after liberalization, market investors must rely on...