I study the relationship between competition in the banking sector and financial fragility. I identify a new “too big to save” channel through which increased competition amplifies fragility in the banking system. In equilibrium, a more competitive banking system will be larger because more...

Cooperation among savings and cooperative banks was criticized by the European Commission because of potentially anti-competitive effects. In an industrial economics model of banks taking deposits and giving loans we look at regional demarcation as one of such cooperative practices. There are...

The quiet life hypothesis (QLH) posits that banks enjoy the advantages of market power in terms of foregone revenues or cost savings. We suggest a united approach to measure competition and efficiency simultaneously to test this hypothesis. We estimate bank-specific Lerner indices as measures of...

Cooperation among savings and cooperative banks was criticized by the European Commission because of potentially anti-competitive effects. In an industrial economics model of banks taking deposits and giving loans we look at regional demarcation as one of such cooperative practices. There are...

Traditionell leisten Sparkassen einen wichtigen Beitrag für die Raumentwicklung in Städten und Regionen. Sie kennen die Probleme und Potentiale lokaler Ökonomien und sie haben Vertrauen zu den lokalen Akteuren. Das macht sie zu wichtigen Promotoren der Orte und Regionen, an denen sie wirken....