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Racial Disparities in Conforming Mortgage Lending: A Comparative Study of Fintech and Traditional Lenders Under Regulatory Oversight

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  • Zilong Liu

    (Department of Business Administration, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

  • Hongyan Liang

    (Department of Business Administration, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

Abstract

This study examines racial and ethnic disparities in mortgage-lending outcomes across different lender types—large banks, fintech lenders, non-bank lenders, small banks, and credit unions—using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data from 2018 to 2023. By analyzing approval rates, rate spreads, and origination charges, we evaluate how borrower outcomes vary by race and ethnicity, controlling for loan characteristics, borrower attributes, and regional factors. Our findings reveal that Black and Hispanic borrowers consistently face less favorable terms than White borrowers, with disparities differing by lender type. Large banks, operating under stringent regulatory oversight, demonstrate relatively equitable pricing but impose higher loan denial rates on minorities. Credit unions, despite offering the lowest rate spreads overall, penalize minority borrowers more severely in pricing than other lender types. Fintech lenders, while charging higher-rate spreads and fees, show smaller credit access disparities for minority borrowers. Non-bank and small banks display mixed results, with inconsistencies in their treatment of minorities across pricing and credit access. These results highlight that neither technological innovations nor alternative lending models alone suffice to eliminate systemic inequities. Achieving equitable mortgage lending requires enhanced regulatory oversight, greater transparency in algorithmic decision-making, and stricter enforcement of fair lending practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Zilong Liu & Hongyan Liang, 2025. "Racial Disparities in Conforming Mortgage Lending: A Comparative Study of Fintech and Traditional Lenders Under Regulatory Oversight," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jfinte:v:4:y:2025:i:1:p:8-:d:1586562
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Neil Bhutta & Aurel Hizmo, 2021. "Do Minorities Pay More for Mortgages? [Higher-priced home lending and the 2005 HMDA data]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(2), pages 763-789.
    2. Robert B. Avery & Kenneth P. Brevoort & Glenn Canner, 2012. "Does Credit Scoring Produce a Disparate Impact?," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 40, pages 65-114, December.
    3. Julapa Jagtiani & Catharine Lemieux, 2019. "The roles of alternative data and machine learning in fintech lending: Evidence from the LendingClub consumer platform," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 48(4), pages 1009-1029, December.
    4. Jacob W. Faber, 2013. "Racial Dynamics of Subprime Mortgage Lending at the Peak," Housing Policy Debate, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 328-349, April.
    5. Bartlett, Robert & Morse, Adair & Stanton, Richard & Wallace, Nancy, 2022. "Consumer-lending discrimination in the FinTech Era," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 30-56.
    6. Andreas Fuster & Matthew Plosser & Philipp Schnabl & James Vickery, 2019. "The Role of Technology in Mortgage Lending," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 1854-1899.
    7. Munnell, Alicia H. & Geoffrey M. B. Tootell & Lynn E. Browne & James McEneaney, 1996. "Mortgage Lending in Boston: Interpreting HMDA Data," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(1), pages 25-53, March.
    8. Stephen L. Ross & John Yinger, 2002. "The Color of Credit: Mortgage Discrimination, Research Methodology, and Fair-Lending Enforcement," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262182289, December.
    9. Patrick Bayer & Fernando Ferreira & Stephen L. Ross, 2018. "What Drives Racial and Ethnic Differences in High-Cost Mortgages? The Role of High-Risk Lenders," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(1), pages 175-205.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zilong Liu & Hongyan Liang, 2025. "Do Fintech Firms Excel in Risk Assessment for U.S. 30-Year Conforming Residential Mortgages?," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Liu, Zilong & Liang, Hongyan, 2025. "Are credit scores gender-neutral? Evidence of mis-calibration from alternative and traditional borrowing data," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).

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