A major characteristic of financial markets is information asymmetry. To combat its problems principals can use screening. That is, they can offer the clients a menu of contracts and infer their risk level from their choices. If the pattern of choices that clients with different risk level make...

The current collapse of credit markets has left small and medium enterprises (SMEs) facing severe credit rationing. The practice of screening borrowers by risk level has become a paramount consideration for both lenders and firms. This paper represents the first empirical test of the screening...