Bank liability guarantee schemes have traditionally been viewed as costless measures to shore up investor confidence and stave off bank runs. However, as the experience of some European countries, most notably Ireland, has demonstrated, the credibility and effectiveness of these guarantees is...

After the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007-2008 the level of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the economy has generally increased. However, while in some countries this has been a transitory phenomenon, in others it still represents a major threat for economic recovery and financial...