One of the major financial market events of the 1980s was the precipitous rise of depository institution failures including banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions. Not since the 1930s has there been a similar period of turmoil in these industries. The events of the 1980s have inspired a renewed interest in the causes and cost of financial institution failure and several questions that had seldom been asked in the post-World War II economics literature have resurfaced

• Why do financial institutions fail?
• What are the costs of their failure?
• How do they differ from other firms and industries?
• What are the implications for financial market regulation?

The Causes and Costs of Depository Institution Failures critically surveys and extends previous analyses of these questions.
Audience: Scholars and researchers in the areas of money and banking, financial institutions, and financial markets, as well as regulators and policymakers.