While operational risk is generally perceived as idiosyncratic with limited systemic implications, we document that operational risk significantly threatens financial stability. Using supervisory data on large U.S. bank holding companies (BHCs) over 2002:Q1-2016:Q4, we find operational losses...

The U.S. bank stress tests aim to improve financial system stability. However, they may also affect bank credit supply. We formulate and test opposing hypotheses about these effects. Our findings are consistent with the Risk Management Hypothesis, under which stress-tested banks reduce credit...

We conduct the first broad-based international study on bank-level failures covering 92 countries over 2000-2014, investigating national culture variables as failure determinants. We find individualism and masculinity are positively associated with bank failure, but operate through different...

We examine how bank efficiency during normal times affects survival, risk, and profitability during subsequent financial crises using data from five U.S. financial crises and preceding normal times. We find cost efficiency during normal times helps reduce bank failure probabilities, decrease...

Theory suggests that government aid to banks may either reduce or increase systemic risk. We are the first to address this issue empirically, analyzing the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Analysis suggests that TARP significantly reduced contributions to systemic risk, particularly for...

Prudential bank supervision is designed to enhance financial stability, but we are unaware of research linking this supervision to financial system risk. In particular, there are no prior findings on how supervisory enforcement actions (EAs) – major tools of supervisors – affect systemic...

We investigate whether saving Wall Street through the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) really saved Main Street during the recent financial crisis. Our difference-in-difference analysis suggests that TARP statistically and economically significantly increased net job creation and net hiring...

Despite ample research demonstrating many consequences of bank geographic deregulation, the bank capital determinants literature has not directly tested the effects of this deregulation. This paper fills this important research gap. We find strong evidence that geographic deregulation...

Governments provide guarantees to banks, such as deposit insurance, often increasing them during financial crises. While risk effects are well researched, impacts on bank output remain largely unexplored. We investigate bank output effects using data from 75 countries on bank liquidity creation,...

We present a life cycle view of how systemic risks build during a boom, are realized during the following crisis, and are addressed in the aftermath. We also offer potential explanations of the seemingly irrational behavior by private-sector agents and policy makers. We show how the model...