The Uniform Small Loan Law (USLL) was the Russell Sage Foundation’s primary device for fighting what it viewed as the scourge of high-rate lending to poor people in the first half of the twentieth century. The USLL created a new class of lenders who could make small loans at interest rates...

This study investigates whether the use of Sukuk (Islamic bonds) by Islamic Banks have impacted the performance of these banks during a financial crisis for period of 2007-2009. Data in this study was collected over the period of 2007-2009, with the study focusing on fourteen Islamic banks that...

We examine the relative impact of Moody's and S&P ratings on bond yields and find that at issuance, yields on split rated bonds with superior Moody's ratings are about 8 basis points lower than yields on split rated bonds with superior S&P ratings. This suggests that investors differentiate...

Banks distribute corporate debt by selling their reputation as underwriters to investors in debt markets. Nevertheless, a little explored area is the certification role of banks in placing their own bond debt. In particular, the bank-specific alternative choice of self-underwriting versus the...

We analyze whether bond investors price tail risk exposures of financial institutions using a comprehensive sample of bond issuances by U.S. financial institutions. Although primary bond yield spreads increase with an institutions' own tail risk (expected shortfall), systematic tail risk...