Policy uncertainty (PU) is an increasingly important issue in many economies. Extensive evidence indicates that higher PU is associated with future negative macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions. In this paper, we examine how PU affects banks' accruals for loan losses. Consistent with banks...

This article examines the consequences of accounting policy choices for individual banks' downside tail risk, for the codependence of such risk among banks, and for regulatory forbearance, or the decision by a regulator not to intervene. The author synthesizes recent research that provides...

We investigate the effects of countercyclical prudential buffers on bank risk-taking. We exploit the introduction of dynamic loan loss provisioning in Spain, mandating that banks use historical average loss rates in their estimation of loan loss provisions. We find that dynamic loan loss...

An important unresolved issue is the extent to which bank transparency promotes or undermines bank stability. Conflicting views on transparency create a demand for empirical research that can provide insights into the nature of transparency and when, where and how it positively or negatively...

I exploit variation in the adoption of disclosure and supervisory regulation across U.S. states to examine their impact on the development and stability of commercial banks. The empirical results suggest that the adoption of state‐level requirements to report financial statements in local...

An important question in banking is how strict supervision affects bank lending and in turn local business activity. Forcing banks to recognize losses could choke off lending and amplify local economic woes, especially after financial crises. But stricter supervision could also lead to changes...

We develop a model to show how shareholder-creditor agency conflicts interact with accounting measurement rules to influence the design of bank capital regulation. Relative to a benchmark autarkic regime, higher capital requirements mitigate inefficient asset substitution, but exacerbate...

Examining banks across 27 countries, we estimate two measures of the forward-looking orientation reflected in discretionary loan provisioning practices within a country. We document that forward-looking provisioning designed to smooth earnings dampens discipline over risk-taking, consistent with...

An important question in banking is how strict supervision affects bank lending and in turn local business activity. Supervisors forcing banks to recognize losses could choke off lending and amplify local economic woes. But stricter supervision could also change how banks assess and manage...

This paper is concerned with the allegation that fair value accounting rules have contributed significantly to the recent financial crisis. It focuses on one particular channel for that contribution: the impact of fair value on actual or potential failure of banks. The paper compares four...