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Partially Disaggregated Household‐Level Debt Service Ratios: Construction, Validation, And Relationship To Bankruptcy Rates

Author

Listed:
  • Joel A. Elvery
  • Mark E. Schweitzer

Abstract

Using individual‐level debt payments data from a credit bureau, we estimate debt service ratios by debt type for the United States. While highly correlated with the Board of Governors' national debt service ratio, we identify some required payments categories that vary substantively from the aggregate assumptions used in the Board's published data series. Estimating novel state and metropolitan statistical area (MSA)‐level debt service ratios, we show that debt service ratios rose dramatically during the 2000s housing boom in several of the most impacted states and MSAs. Our state‐level debt service ratios are shown to be useful in predicting state bankruptcy rates. (JEL D14, C8, E50)

Suggested Citation

  • Joel A. Elvery & Mark E. Schweitzer, 2020. "Partially Disaggregated Household‐Level Debt Service Ratios: Construction, Validation, And Relationship To Bankruptcy Rates," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 38(1), pages 166-187, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:38:y:2020:i:1:p:166-187
    DOI: 10.1111/coep.12434
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Karen E. Dynan & Kathleen W. Johnson & Karen M. Pence, 2003. "Recent changes to a measure of U.S. household debt service," Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), vol. 89(Oct), pages 417-426, October.
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    4. Kathleen W. Johnson & Geng Li, 2010. "The Debt-Payment-to-Income Ratio as an Indicator of Borrowing Constraints: Evidence from Two Household Surveys," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(7), pages 1373-1390, October.
    5. Jesse Bricker & Meta Brown & Simona Hannon & Karen M. Pence, 2015. "How Much Student Debt is Out There?," FEDS Notes 2015-08-07, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    6. Gross, Tal & Notowidigdo, Matthew J., 2011. "Health insurance and the consumer bankruptcy decision: Evidence from expansions of Medicaid," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(7-8), pages 767-778, August.
    7. Ian Domowitz & Robert L. Sartain, 1999. "Determinants of the Consumer Bankruptcy Decision," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(1), pages 403-420, February.
    8. repec:mpr:mprres:2182 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Mathias Drehmann & Mikael Juselius, 2012. "Do debt service costs affect macroeconomic and financial stability?," BIS Quarterly Review, Bank for International Settlements, September.
    10. Atif Mian & Amir Sufi, 2009. "The Consequences of Mortgage Credit Expansion: Evidence from the U.S. Mortgage Default Crisis," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(4), pages 1449-1496.
    11. Atif Mian & Amir Sufi, 2011. "House Prices, Home Equity-Based Borrowing, and the US Household Leverage Crisis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(5), pages 2132-2156, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Norliza Che-Yahya & Nor Akila Mohd Kassim & Siti Sarah Alyasa-Gan & Beche Nediam Nori, 2023. "Factors Affecting Personal Bankruptcy among Malaysians," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(3), pages 229-243.
    2. Agnieszka Strzelecka & Danuta Zawadzka, 2020. "Why Households Borrow Money? Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Households Debts: A Model Approach," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 820-839.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • C8 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General

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