The continental European financial system distinghuishes itself from its American counterpart by the dominance of banks in the financing of nonfinancial companies. Only a fraction of the external capital need of the private sector is fulfilled directly, on the public capital market. Non-bank...

In this study I empirically examine U.S. publicly traded firms to determine the impact of banking relationships on the future of financially distressed firms. Results demonstrate that obtaining a relationship-backed loan in the six months prior to distress identification significantly increases...

This short essay considers the findings and recommendations of the Paulson Report relating to securities fraud class actions under the 1934 Act and Rule 10b-5. While the report exposes numerous problems with securities litigation in the United States, it understates the problems inherent in...

Very few matters of social importance are more complex than the one before you today. This particular issue is not only about uncovering obscure dollars unscrupulously extracted from the account balances of America's workforce, but it is also about correcting the culture that has permitted the...

This comment letter was submitted to the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with that Department's review of proposals for changes in the regulatory structure for financial institutions. The comment letter presents the following policy recommendations: (1) the thrift charter should be...

In this article, I address a serious problem with the approach to damages embodied in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) that artificially increases awards in securities fraud actions in down markets. Congress enacted PSLRA to limit frivolous lawsuits under the federal...

Finance journal quality is a critical issue for faculty annual evaluations, for the tenure and promotion process, and for the administration of faculty workload plans. Unlike other studies that use objective measures(such as citation frequencies) to rate journals, this study focuses on the...

Insurance company risk is assessed after their acquisitions. An acquisition may increase risk if it is a strategic mismatch, or an acquisition may reduce risk through cash flow diversification. Over thirty-six month periods surrounding insurance company acquisitions, systematic risk changes are...

Given their unique characteristics, insurers that adjust their dividends may create a unique signal. An event study methodology is used to measure the share price response of insurers to dividend increases, and matched control samples of banks and industrial firms are similarly assessed. The...