This study mainly aimed to examine the effect of internal risks on the financial performance of the Jordanian commercial banks. The study sample comprised the entire commercial banks that are included in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) spanning the period from 2009 to 2019. The study formulated four hypotheses, which are related to the effects of liquidity risk and leverage risk on the bank’s performance, proxied by ROA and ROE. Based on the results, liquidity risk did not have a significant effect on both ROA and ROE, while leverage risk did not have a significant effect on ROA, but it did on ROE. It can thus be concluded that the use of financial leverage should be taken into consideration because of its negative influence on the banks’ financial performance, specifically on the shareholders’ returns. It is recommended that future studies examine the effect of additional risk types, like credit risk and operational risk on the performance of banks.

The study aimed to explore the relationship between corporate governance (i.e., tasks and responsibilities of the Board of Directors, disclosure and transparency, shareholders’ rights and fair treatment of shareholders, and audit and internal control) and bank performance. Data were collected using a questionnaire distributed to a sample consisting of managers of commercial banks in the northern region in Jordan. The study found a significant and positive relationship between corporate governance and bank performance. Particularly, the study pointed out two principles (i.e., tasks and responsibilities of the Board of Directors, and audit and internal control) were positively related to bank performance, while there were no significant relationships between the other two principles (i.e., disclosure and transparency as well as shareholders’ rights and fair treatment of shareholders). It was concluded that corporate governance is very critical for enhancing bank performance. Additionally, commercial banks should pay more attention to all principles of corporate governance.