In modern commercial banking, the Credit Risk Management department is frequently characterized as both a 'Control Function' and a 'Strategic Support Unit'. This dual categorization is primarily because:

In credit risk management, credit spread analysis is important because it helps assess the risk premium required by investors over risk-free benchmarks. A widening credit spread generally implies:

In the assessment of credit risk, which of the following factors would typically lead to an increase in the 'Loss Given Default' (LGD) for a specific exposure?