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The real effects of credit constraints: Evidence from discouraged borrowers

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  • Ferrando, Annalisa
  • Mulier, Klaas

Abstract

This paper analyzes the characteristics and behavior of discouraged borrowers. First, we show that, in the decision to apply for a bank loan or to be discouraged, firms trade-off their expected return on investment with the cost of borrowing (interest rate, opportunity cost, application cost) and their rejection likelihood. Second, we predict the approval likelihood of discouraged borrowers and find that a significant fraction would be able to get a bank loan if they would actually apply. Third, we exploit an exogenous legal change in Belgium that reduced firms’ loan application costs and find that this significantly reduced the probability of being discouraged for firms in Belgium relative to similar firms in Germany and France. Using this exogenous change in discouragement, we document strong negative effects of discouragement on investment, employment, and sales.

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  • Ferrando, Annalisa & Mulier, Klaas, 2022. "The real effects of credit constraints: Evidence from discouraged borrowers," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:73:y:2022:i:c:s0929119922000141
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2022.102171
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    Cited by:

    1. Osei-Tutu, Francis & Weill, Laurent, 2023. "Individualism reduces borrower discouragement," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 370-385.
    2. Bertrand, Jérémie & Mazza, Paolo, 2022. "Borrowers’ discouragement and creditor information," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Durante, Elena & McGeever, Niall, 2022. "SME Credit Conditions in the Pandemic Recovery," Financial Stability Notes 2/FS/22, Central Bank of Ireland.
    4. Kallandranis, Christos & Anastasiou, Dimitrios & Drakos, Konstantinos, 2023. "Credit rationing prevalence for Eurozone firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    5. Faccia, Donata & Hünnekes, Franziska & Köhler-Ulbrich, Petra, 2024. "What drives banks’ credit standards? An analysis based on a large bank-firm panel," Working Paper Series 2902, European Central Bank.
    6. David Aristei & Manuela Gallo, 2024. "Green management, access to credit, and firms’ vulnerability to the COVID-19 crisis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 179-211, January.
    7. Luca Fare & Marcus Dejardin & Eric Toulemonde, 2023. "Bankruptcy recovery rate and small businesses' innovation," DeFiPP Working Papers 2302, University of Namur, Development Finance and Public Policies.
    8. Bertrand, Jérémie & Delanghe, Marieke & Klein, Paul-Olivier, 2023. "Does relationship lending help firms to ask for credit? European cross-country evidence," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Discouraged borrowers; Determinants; Real effects; Natural experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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