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The Total Costs of Corporate Borrowing in the Loan Market: Don’t Ignore the Fees

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  • Berg, Tobias
  • Saunders, Anthony
  • Steffen, Sascha

Abstract

More than 80% of US syndicated loans contain at least one fee type and contracts typically specify a menu of spread and different types of fees. We test the predictions of existing theories about the main purposes of fees and provide supporting evidence that: (1) fees are used to Price options embedded in loan contracts such as the draw-down option for credit lines and the cancellation option in term loans; and (2) fees are used to screen borrowers about the likelihood of exercising these options. We also propose a new total-cost-of-borrowing measure that includes various fees charged by lenders.

Suggested Citation

  • Berg, Tobias & Saunders, Anthony & Steffen, Sascha, 2015. "The Total Costs of Corporate Borrowing in the Loan Market: Don’t Ignore the Fees," Discussion Paper Series of SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems 489, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.
    • Handle: RePEc:trf:wpaper:489
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    Cited by:

    1. Grupp, Marcel, 2015. "Taking the lead: When non-banks arrange syndicated loans," SAFE Working Paper Series 100, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    2. Viral V Acharya & Tim Eisert & Christian Eufinger & Christian Hirsch, 2019. "Whatever It Takes: The Real Effects of Unconventional Monetary Policy," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(9), pages 3366-3411.
    3. Biao Mi & Liang Han, 2020. "Banking market concentration and syndicated loan prices," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 1-28, January.
    4. Mohammad M Rahaman, 2016. "Chinese import competition and the provisions for external debt financing in the US," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(8), pages 898-928, October.
    5. Sergey Chernenko & Isil Erel & Robert Prilmeier, 2019. "Why Do Firms Borrow Directly from Nonbanks?," NBER Working Papers 26458, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Tobias Berg & Anthony Saunders & Sascha Steffen & Daniel Streitz, 2017. "Mind the Gap: The Difference between U.S. and European Loan Rates," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 948-987.
    7. Ivanov, Ivan T. & Santos, João A.C. & Vo, Thu, 2016. "The transformation of banking: Tying loan interest rates to borrowers' CDS spreads," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 150-165.
    8. Zhi Li & Lingling Wang & Karen Wruck, 2020. "Accounting‐Based Compensation and Debt Contracts," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(3), pages 1475-1511, September.
    9. Pinto, João M. & Alves, Paulo P., 2016. "Project finance in Europe: An overview and discussion of key drivers," EIB Working Papers 2016/04, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    10. Yin, Desheng & Hasan, Iftekhar & Liu, Liuling & Wang, Haizhi, 2022. "Trust and contracting with foreign banks: Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

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