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A Quantitative Theory of the Credit Score

Author

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  • Satyajit Chatterjee
  • Dean Corbae
  • Kyle Dempsey
  • José‐Víctor Ríos‐Rull

Abstract

What is the role of credit scores in credit markets? We argue that it is, in part, the market's assessment of a person's unobservable type, which here we take to be patience. We postulate a model of persistent hidden types where observable actions shape the public assessment of a person's type via Bayesian updating. We show how dynamic reputation can incentivize repayment. Importantly, we show how an economy with credit scores implements the same equilibrium allocation. We estimate the model using both credit market data and the evolution of individuals' credit scores. We conduct counterfactuals to assess how more or less information used in scoring individuals affects outcomes and welfare. If tracking of individual credit actions is outlawed, poor young adults of low type benefit from subsidization by high types despite facing higher interest rates arising from lower dynamic incentives to repay.

Suggested Citation

  • Satyajit Chatterjee & Dean Corbae & Kyle Dempsey & José‐Víctor Ríos‐Rull, 2023. "A Quantitative Theory of the Credit Score," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(5), pages 1803-1840, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:emetrp:v:91:y:2023:i:5:p:1803-1840
    DOI: 10.3982/ECTA18771
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    2. Jose E. Gomez-Gonzalez & Jorge M. Uribe & Oscar M. Valencia, 2024. "Asymmetric Sovereign Risk: Implications for Climate Change Preparation," IREA Working Papers 202401, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Jan 2024.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth

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