YENER ALTUNBAS is a Senior Lecturer, University of Wales, Bangor, UK. LUISA ANDERLONI is Full Professor of Financial Intermediaries and Markets, University of Milan, Italy. RYM AYADI is Head of Research of the Financial Institutions and Prudential Policy Unit, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, Belgium. GEORGIOS CHORTAREAS is Reader in International Finance, University of Essex, UK. CLAUDIA GIRARDONE is Senior Lecturer in Finance, University of Essex, UK. MARIO LA TORRE is Full Professor in Banking and Finance, University of Rome, Italy. XIJUAN (ANGEL) LIAO is a postdoctoral research fellow in investment and finance, University of Edinburgh, UK. TED LINDBLOM is Professor and Chairman of the PhD Research Committee of Business Administration at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. DAVID MARQUES is Senior Economist at the European Central Bank. MAGNUS OLSSON is a Ph.D Candidate at School of Business, Economics and Commercial Law, Goteborg University, Sweden. RENÉ VAN DER is Lecturer in Economics, University Amsterdam/Diemen, the Netherlands. DAVID PELILLI has recently completed his doctoral studies at University of Tor Vergata, Italy. DANIELA VANDONE is Assistant Professor of Economics of Financial Intermediaries, University of Milan, Italy. GIANFRANCO A. VENTO is a post doctoral scholar in Microfinance, University of Rome, Italy. ALEXIA VENTOURI is a Ph.D. candidate in Finance, University of Essex, UK. JONATHAN WILLIAMS is SeniorLecturer in Banking and Finance, University of Wales, Bangor, UK. BALZHAN ZHUSSUPOVA is Visiting Assistant Professor, Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research.