Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
8-2021
Abstract
The originate-to-distribute (OTD) model, in which the originators of mortgages sell or securitize the mortgages to third parties, likely contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Auditors were blamed for permitting clients to understate the risks of the model in their financial reports, fostering undisciplined lending. We investigate whether public audit oversight influences OTD lending by promoting more vigilant audits of the financial reports of originators. Using a difference-in-differences design prior to the financial crisis, we find reduced OTD lending by banks after the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) criticizes their auditors’ audits of financial reports regarding OTD transactions. The reduction is greater for banks with poorer risk controls and stronger incentives to manage earnings. We also find a reduction in gains on loan sales and securitizations. The results suggest that PCAOB inspections can help discipline OTD lending, a real effect of public audit oversight in the United States.
Keywords
Regulation; PCAOB Inspections; Auditors; Originate-to-distribute model of lending; Securitizations; Banks
Discipline
Accounting
Research Areas
Corporate Reporting and Disclosure
Publication
Journal of Accounting and Economics
Volume
72
Issue
1
First Page
1
Last Page
25
ISSN
0165-4101
Identifier
10.1016/j.jacceco.2021.101420
Publisher
Elsevier: 24 months
Citation
1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.