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Playing Hide and Seek: How Lenders Respond to Borrower Protection

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  • Youssef Benzarti

    (UCSB and NBER)

Abstract

This paper uses the universe of mortgage contracts to estimate the response of high-interest lenders to borrower protection regulations aimed at simplifying and making loan terms more transparent. Using a quasi-experimental design, I find that lenders substantially reduce interest rates—by an average of 10%—in order to avoid being subject to borrower protection, without reducing amounts loaned or the number of loans approved. This finding is consistent with high-interest lenders preferring to issue obfuscatory mortgage contracts with lower interest rates rather than more transparent and regulated mortgages with higher interest rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Youssef Benzarti, 2024. "Playing Hide and Seek: How Lenders Respond to Borrower Protection," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(2), pages 384-393, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:106:y:2024:i:2:p:384-393
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01167
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    Cited by:

    1. Robert Clark & Shaoteng Li, 2022. "The Strategic Response of Banks to Macroprudential Policies: Evidence from Mortgage Stress Tests in Canada [LIBOR manipulation?]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(1), pages 187-216.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • H10 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - General

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