Work

Hidden cost reductions in bank mergers: Accounting for more productive banks

Year: 2004
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The bank mergers of the 1990s often triggered upward adjustments in reported depreciation and goodwill amortization expenses, apart from any change in actual costs, due to the conventions of purchase accounting. Thus, conventional measurements underestimated the sizeable and long-lasting reductions in non-interest costs achieved following mergers.The largest reductions in reported post-merger bank costs occurred in labor expenses, which were not subject to accounting revaluations. Reported premises expenses jell considerably less than that of labor when buildings were revalued. Other non-interest expenses rose, partly because amortization increased due to the additional goodwill generated by mergers.
Authors: Simon H. Kwan, James A. Wilcox
Language: English
Subfield: Finance
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1531256227
FWCI: 12.23
Cites: 8
Cited by: 33
Related to: 10