IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jrefec/v66y2023i4d10.1007_s11146-021-09876-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving Mortgage Default Collection Efforts by Employing the Decoy Effect

Author

Listed:
  • David M. Harrison

    (University of Central Florida)

  • Kimberly F. Luchtenberg

    (American University)

  • Michael J. Seiler

    (College of William & Mary)

Abstract

We test the ability of the Decoy Effect to enhance debt collection efforts and find that by disclosing the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) in settlement offers, participants are less influenced by the decoy and more apt to select the repayment option that is in their best interest. At the same time, by reporting the APR, borrowers are more willing to make repayments on the modified loan, resulting in a net gain to debt collection efforts. Because disclosing the APR is Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) compliant, this simple disclosure has the ability to increase debt collection returns while helping borrowers make better decisions when selecting debt modification repayment plans. Our results suggest an applicability to all types of defaulted debt including mortgages, sub-prime auto loans, credit cards, student loans, and payday loans.

Suggested Citation

  • David M. Harrison & Kimberly F. Luchtenberg & Michael J. Seiler, 2023. "Improving Mortgage Default Collection Efforts by Employing the Decoy Effect," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 66(4), pages 840-860, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrefec:v:66:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s11146-021-09876-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11146-021-09876-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11146-021-09876-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11146-021-09876-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simonson, Itamar, 1989. "Choice Based on Reasons: The Case of Attraction and Compromise Effects," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 16(2), pages 158-174, September.
    2. Seiler, Michael J., 2015. "The role of informational uncertainty in the decision to strategically default," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 49-59.
    3. Michael J. Seiler, 2017. "Do Liquidated Damages Clauses Affect Strategic Mortgage Default Morality? A Test of the Disjunctive Thesis," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 45(1), pages 204-230, February.
    4. Michael J. Seiler, 2018. "Asymmetric Dominance and Its Impact on Mortgage Default Deficiency Collection Efforts," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 46(4), pages 971-990, December.
    5. Nuriddin Ikromov & Abdullah Yavas, 2012. "Asset Characteristics and Boom and Bust Periods: An Experimental Study," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 40(3), pages 603-636, September.
    6. Matthew Cypher & S. McKay Price & Spenser Robinson & Michael J. Seiler, 2018. "Price Signals and Uncertainty in Commercial Real Estate Transactions," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 246-263, August.
    7. Michael Seiler, 2014. "The Effect of Perceived Lender Characteristics and Market Conditions on Strategic Mortgage Defaults," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 256-270, February.
    8. Herne, Kaisa, 1997. "Decoy alternatives in policy choices: Asymmetric domination and compromise effects," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 575-589, September.
    9. , & ,, 2012. "Reason-based choice: a bargaining rationale for the attraction and compromise effects," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 7(1), January.
    10. Lombardi, Michele, 2009. "Reason-based choice correspondences," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 58-66, January.
    11. Michael J. Seiler, 2015. "Do as I Say, Not as I do: The Role of Advice versus Actions in the Decision to Strategically Default," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 37(2), pages 191-216.
    12. Janet A. Schwartz & Gretchen B. Chapman, 1999. "Are More Options Always Better?," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 19(3), pages 315-323, August.
    13. Georgios Gerasimou, 2013. "On continuity of incomplete preferences," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 41(1), pages 157-167, June.
    14. Sahin, M. Abdullah & Sirmans, C.F. & Yavas, Abdullah, 2013. "Buyer brokerage: Experimental evidence," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 265-277.
    15. Nuriddin Ikromov & Abdullah Yavas, 2012. "Cash Flow Volatility, Prices and Price Volatility: An Experimental Study," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 203-229, January.
    16. Sefton, Martin & Yavas, Abdullah, 1995. "The Welfare Effects of a Subsidy to Multiple Listing Services," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 85-90, July.
    17. repec:eme:ijhma0:ijhma-12-2014-0060 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Huber, Joel & Payne, John W & Puto, Christopher, 1982. "Adding Asymmetrically Dominated Alternatives: Violations of Regularity and the Similarity Hypothesis," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 9(1), pages 90-98, June.
    19. Velma Zahirovic-Herbert & Karen M. Gibler & Swarn Chatterjee, 2016. "Financial literacy, risky mortgages, and delinquency in the US during the financial crisis," International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(2), pages 164-189, June.
    20. Abdullah Yavas & Thomas J. Miceli & C.F. Sirmans, 2001. "An Experimental Analysis of the Impact of Intermediaries on the Outcome of Bargaining Games," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 29(2), pages 251-276.
    21. Michael J. Seiler & Vicky L. Seiler & Mark A. Lane & David M. Harrison, 2012. "Fear, Shame and Guilt: Economic and Behavioral Motivations for Strategic Default," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 40, pages 199-233, December.
    22. Michael J. Seiler, 2016. "The Perceived Moral Reprehensibility of Strategic Mortgage Default," Framed Field Experiments 00622, The Field Experiments Website.
    23. Velma Zahirovic-Herbert & Karen M. Gibler & Swarn Chatterjee, 2016. "Financial literacy, risky mortgages, and delinquency in the US during the financial crisis," International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(2), pages 164-189, June.
    24. Ratneshwar, Srinivasan & Shocker, Allan D & Stewart, David W, 1987. "Toward Understanding the Attraction Effect: The Implications of Product Stimulus Meaningfulness and Familiarity," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 13(4), pages 520-533, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hirota, Shinichi & Suzuki-Löffelholz, Kumi & Udagawa, Daisuke, 2020. "Does owners’ purchase price affect rent offered? Experimental evidence," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    2. Jackson T. Anderson & David M. Harrison & Michael J. Seiler, 2022. "Reducing Strategic Forbearance under the CARES Act: an Experimental Approach Utilizing Recourse Attestation," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 230-260, August.
    3. Jackson T. Anderson & David M. Harrison & Kimberly F. Luchtenberg & Michael J. Seiler, 2023. "Legal Versus Psychological Contracts: When Does a Mortgage Default Settlement Contract Become a Contract?," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 67(2), pages 191-217, August.
    4. Castillo, Geoffrey, 2020. "The attraction effect and its explanations," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 123-147.
    5. Kimberly F. Luchtenberg & Michael J. Seiler & Hua Sun, 2019. "Listing Agent Signals: Does a Picture Paint a Thousand Words?," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 617-648, November.
    6. (Gina) Cui, Yuanyuan & (Sam) Kim, Seongseop & Kim, Jungkeun, 2021. "Impact of preciseness of price presentation on the magnitude of compromise and decoy effects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 641-652.
    7. Sürücü, Oktay & Djawadi, Behnud Mir & Recker, Sonja, 2019. "The asymmetric dominance effect: Reexamination and extension in risky choice – An experimental study," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 102-122.
    8. Gomez, Yolanda & Martínez-Molés, Víctor & Urbano, Amparo & Vila, Jose, 2016. "The attraction effect in mid-involvement categories: An experimental economics approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5082-5088.
    9. Efe A. Ok & Pietro Ortoleva & Gil Riella, 2011. "Theory of Product Differentiation in the presence of the Attraction Effect," Working Papers 2011-3, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    10. Tserenjigmid, Gerelt, 2019. "Choosing with the worst in mind: A reference-dependent model," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 631-652.
    11. Sürücü, Oktay & Brangewitz, Sonja & Mir Djawadi, Behnud, 2017. "Asymmetric dominance effect with multiple decoys for low- and high-variance lotteries," Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers 574, Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University.
    12. Ayala Arad & Benjamin Bachi & Amnon Maltz, 2023. "On the relevance of irrelevant strategies," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 26(5), pages 1142-1184, November.
    13. Georgios Gerasimou, 2016. "Asymmetric dominance, deferral, and status quo bias in a behavioral model of choice," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 80(2), pages 295-312, February.
    14. Maltz, Amnon & Rachmilevitch, Shiran, 2021. "A model of menu-dependent evaluations and comparison-aversion," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    15. Fabio Galeotti & Maria Montero & Anders Poulsen, 2022. "The Attraction and Compromise Effects in Bargaining: Experimental Evidence," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(4), pages 2987-3007, April.
    16. Michael J. Seiler, 2017. "Do Liquidated Damages Clauses Affect Strategic Mortgage Default Morality? A Test of the Disjunctive Thesis," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 45(1), pages 204-230, February.
    17. MS. Eric Santosa, 2020. "Trying to Deteriorate an Attraction Effect: A Lesson for Challengers," Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Richtmann Publishing Ltd, vol. 9, November.
    18. Efe A. Ok & Pietro Ortoleva & Gil Riella, 2015. "Revealed (P)Reference Theory," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(1), pages 299-321, January.
    19. Heydari, Pedram, 2021. "Luce arbitrates: Stochastic resolution of inner conflicts," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 33-74.
    20. Yang Zhang & Hong Zhang & Michael J. Seiler, 2016. "The Effects of Time Constraints on Broker Behavior in China¡¦s Resale Housing Market: Theory and Evidence," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 19(3), pages 353-370.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Decoy effect; Mortgage default; Asymmetric dominance; Heuristics; Debt collection; CFPB;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R3 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jrefec:v:66:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s11146-021-09876-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.