The potential failure of a large bank presents vexing questions for policymakers. It poses significant risks to other financial institutions, to the financial system as a whole, and possibly to the economic and social order. Because of such fears, policymakers in many countries - developed and less developed, democratic and autocratic - respond by protecting bank creditors from all or some of the losses they otherwise would face. Failing banks are labeled 'too big to fail' (or TBTF). This important new book examines the issues surrounding TBTF, explaining why it is a problem and discussing ways of dealing with it more effectively.