We show that mortgage recourse systems, by discouraging default, magnify the impact of nominal rigidities and cause deeper and more persistent recessions. This mechanism can account for up to 40% of the recovery gap during the Great Recession between the U.S. (mostly a non-recourse economy) and...

The US bankruptcy code provides enhanced priority and security features to debtor-in-possession (DIP) loans which can be obtained from a lender with whom the borrower may have no past lending relationship. The enhanced priority of DIP financing, and the choice of a DIP lender, significantly...