This paper analyzes the determinants of banks' loan loss allowance for samples of U.S. banks and three non-U.S. samples: a group of 21 countries, Canada, and Japan. The model includes fundamental (or nondiscretionary) determinants of the allowance, such as nonperforming loans, and discretionary...

Financial institutions are the topic of the 2003 Eastern Finance Association Symposium. The symposium papers illustrate the importance of bank research for improving our understanding of both financial and nonfinancial firms. Benston begins the symposium with an overview of banking. Three papers...