We show that lenders join a U.S. commercial credit bureau when information asymmetries between incumbents and entrants create an adverse selection problem that hinders market entry. Lenders also delay joining when information asymmetries protect them from competition in existing markets,...

The market for external ratings is dominated worldwide as well as in the European Union (EU) by three major credit rating agencies (CRAs). These "Big Three" are Standard & Poor's (S&P), Moody's and Fitch Ratings. Due to the oligopolistic market structure and possible involvement in the 2008...

Why does the market discipline that banks face seem too weak during good times and too strong during bad times? This paper shows that using rollover risk as a disciplining device is effective only if all banks face purely idiosyncratic risk. However, if banks' assets are correlated, a two-sided...

Why does the market discipline that banks face seem too weak during good times and too strong during bad times? Using a global games approach in a general equilibrium setting, this paper shows that rollover risk as a disciplining device is effective only if all banks face purely idiosyncratic...

The spectacular failure of top-rated structured finance products has brought renewed attention to the conflicts of interest of Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs). We model both the CRA conflict of understating credit risk to attract more business, and the issuer conflict of purchasing only the most...

Fixed income markets rely on delegated asset management, where fund managers' portfolio decisions are directed and restricted by investment mandates. We use textual analysis to classify U.S. fixed income funds' mandate contents. Credit ratings can be used in mandates to define investable assets....

Despite extensive criticism, the major credit rating agencies (CRAs) – Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch – remain as central entities in the financial markets of the U.S. and Europe, especially with respect to bonds and similar financial instruments. This chapter provides a discussion of...

Background: The motivation for this article is the observation of political and private efforts to establish an EU-based rating agency as a counterweight to the three major agencies and observe other approaches to increase competition in the rating market. Objectives: This article aims to...