This study examines the relation between managerial risk tolerance and corporate credit ratings. Using pilot licensing status as a proxy for managerial risk tolerance, we find that firms led by pilot CEOs receive worse credit ratings, suggesting that highly risk-tolerant CEOs impair their...

We examine the relationship between corporate governance and default risk for a sample of firms cited in the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases (AAERs). Using hazard analysis of actual default incidence and OLS regressions of a continuous...

Banks' use of accounting discretion in estimating loan loss provisions (LLPs) during the financial crisis has come under severe criticism. We argue, however, that it is during periods of instability like the financial crisis that accounting discretion is most relevant. We find that the...

During the late 1990's, the SEC alleged that banks were overstating their loan loss allowances to establish cookie jar reserves and issued new guidance on allowance estimation designed to improve financial reporting quality. We show that banks' estimation methods changed in response to the...