"Powell, Mylenko, Miller, and Majnoni analyze how data in public credit registries can be used both to strengthen bank …, including in calculations of credit risk for capital and provisioning requirements, or as a check on a bank's internal ratings … the Caribbean Region--is part of a larger effort in the region to analyze the effects of bank capital regulation …

"Under the traditional "competition-fragility" view, more bank competition erodes market power, decreases profit … margins, and results in reduced franchise value that encourages bank risk taking. Under the alternative "competition …-stability" view, more market power in the loan market may result in greater bank risk as the higher interest rates charged to loan …

voluntary mechanism. "--World Bank web site …

economic growth are ambiguous in theory. Moreover, measuring competition in the financial sector can be complex. In this paper … Claessens and Laeven first estimate for 16 countries a measure of banking system competition based on industrial organization … theory. They then relate this competition measure to growth of industries and find that greater competition in countries …

microfinance institutions have been moving away from group-based contracts. "--World Bank web site …

Economist, Latin America and the Caribbean Region"--World Bank web site …