Gross credit flows of U.S. commercial banks until 2008:Q3

E conomists and analysts are devoting much attention to the commercial banking sector, whose health is fundamental to directing household savings to firms, institutions, and other consumers in need of loans. During the financial crisis of 2007-2008, aggregate data on bank lending show little deviation from trend until mid-October 2008. How ever, aggregate data may hide much of the microeconomic diversity that characterizes the U.S. banking system.