Bank Mergers Are Systemically Important: A Review of Bank Markets and The Merger Review Process

I analyze several aspects of recent changes in the banking industry, some of which correspond to the financial crisis in 2008 and the government’s subsequent financial reforms. The banking industry was greatly impacted by the crisis, including the types of banks that persist. Specifically, I analyze: the decreasing number of community banks, the tends of increasing banking assets and deposits, the consolidation within the banking industry, and distributional implications related to bank size.