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Financing Constraints, Home Equity and Selection into Entrepreneurship

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  • Thais Lærkholm Jensen
  • Søren Leth-Petersen
  • Ramana Nanda

Abstract

We exploit a mortgage reform that differentially unlocked home equity across the Danish population and study how this impacted selection into entrepreneurship. We find that increased entry was concentrated among entrepreneurs whose firms were founded in industries where they had no prior work experience. In addition, we find that marginal entrants benefiting from the reform had higher pre-entry earnings and that a significant share of entrants started longer-lasting firms. Our results are most consistent with the view that housing collateral enabled high ability individuals with less-well-established track records to overcome credit rationing and start new firms, rather than just leading to `frivolous entry' by those without prior industry experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Thais Lærkholm Jensen & Søren Leth-Petersen & Ramana Nanda, 2014. "Financing Constraints, Home Equity and Selection into Entrepreneurship," NBER Working Papers 20583, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20583
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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