“…2 The growth of credit activity is an important aspect of economic development, because credit is a major source of funds for private and public organizations (Hagedoorn, 1996). However, increases in credit supply bring more exposure to credit risk and, in extreme cases, overreliance on credit can compromise the stability of the financial system (Abou-El-Sood, 2015;Arnold, Borio, Ellis, & Moshirian, 2012). Economic crises, such as the one in 2008, indicate a need for greater control and regulation of financial institutions by supervisors and for the development of risk management models.…”