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Fair interest rates when lending to the poor: Are fair prices derived from basic principles of justice?

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Author Info
Marek Hudon () (Centre Emile Bernheim, Solvay Business School, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels and Harvard University, Boston.)

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Abstract

This paper addresses the fairness of prices, with a focus on fair interest rates as they apply to microlending transactions for the poor. Under different assumptions on fairness in interest rate policies and the principles of justice as described in A Theory of Justice (Rawsl, 1976), the paper determines the extent of the ‘just’ range of a price. Using the original notion of fair reservation price and fair bargaining range, it is shown that some unfair considerations can make the fair bargaining range negative. Therefore, we propose an additional criterion for fairness: a fair distribution of the benefits within the fair bargaining range between borrowers and lenders. This new criterion is particularly useful and relevant, at minimum, for socially-minded ones active on the microfinance markets.

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File URL: http://www.solvay.edu/EN/Research/Bernheim/documents/wp06015.pdf
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File Function: First version, 2006
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB) in its series Working Papers CEB with number 06-015.RS.

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Length: 25 pages
Date of creation: Jul 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:06-015

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Related research
Keywords: justice; microfinance; interest rate; principles.;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs
M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management
O16 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment
Q14 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Finance

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Beatriz Armendariz & Jonathan Morduch, 2007. "The Economics of Microfinance," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262512017.
  2. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Weiss, Andrew, 1981. "Credit Rationing in Markets with Imperfect Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(3), pages 393-410, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Cull, Robert & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Morduch, Jonathan, 2006. "Financial performance and outreach : a global analysis of leading microbanks," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3827, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Jonathan Morduch, 1999. "The Microfinance Promise," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 1569-1614, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Oosterlinck, Kim, 2003. "The bond market and the legitimacy of Vichy France," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 326-344, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
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