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Determinants of Short-term Consumer Lending Interest Rates

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  • Richard W. Evans

    (Department of Economics, Brigham Young University)

Abstract

One of the most striking characteristics of the short-term consumer lending industry is the high level of interest rates. This study tests a theory of consumer lending interest rates in which fixed processing costs of short-term loans are the main determinant of interest-rate levels. I perform empirical tests using store-level data from payday and title lenders in the State of Utah from 2010, combined with zip-code level socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service representing potential borrowers. I find that competition among lenders reduces average interest rates and that riskiness of borrowers, as measured by defaults, increases average interest rates. I also fnd that short-term consumer interest rates have a nonlinear and significant relationship to average income, consistent with anecdotal evidence from the payday lending industry but inconsistent with the hypothesis that short-term consumer lenders prey upon the poor. Lastly, I find no evidence that race or eduction affect the short-term lenders' interest rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard W. Evans, 2012. "Determinants of Short-term Consumer Lending Interest Rates," BYU Macroeconomics and Computational Laboratory Working Paper Series 2012-07, Brigham Young University, Department of Economics, BYU Macroeconomics and Computational Laboratory.
    • Handle: RePEc:byu:byumcl:201207
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • G29 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Other

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