There is debate over why lenders are unwilling to modify more mortgages, ranging from structural to macroeconomic factors. This paper introduces the information problem that borrowers and lenders face and examines third party mediation as a mechanism to overcome this problem. Mediation offers...

Credit default swaps ("CDSs") were widely blamed as a primary cause of the recent financial crisis; CDSs fomented panic as the price of credit protection spiked and contributed to the Federal Reserve's decision to bail out American International Group. To reduce the likelihood that credit...

This paper applies dynamic panel estimates on 22 commercial banks in Pakistan to determine the factors that affect their asset quality. Consequently, the study tests for a comprehensive array of both bank-specific and macroeconomic variables collected quarterly from 2008 to 2016. The empirical...

This paper presents evidence that non-bank-originated sub-prime mortgages have a higher probability of default than bank-originated sub-prime mortgages, but only for loans with prepayment penalties. Evidence also indicates that non-banks price prepayment penalties less favorably to borrowers...

A recent dramatic rise in subprime foreclosures has led to calls for restrictions against a range of loan features loosely termed “predatory.” Several cities and states have enacted regulations to curb predatory practices, and some advocacy groups endorse action at the federal level. Using...

This paper presents evidence that non-bank-originated subprime mortgages have a higher probability of default than bank-originated subprime mortgages, but only for loans with prepayment penalties. Evidence also indicates that non-banks price prepayment penalties less favorably to borrowers than...

This paper presents summary statistics and a preliminary analysis of the success rate of loan modifications made in 2010 and January 2011 to residential mortgages securitized in private-label residential mortgage-backed securities. We find that these more recent private-label loan modifications...

This paper analyzes lenders' pricing strategies in the business-to-customer (B2C) unsecured loan market by using a proprietary dataset of approximately 3 million unsecured consumer loans from a B2C online retailer in China. We find that lenders' decisions to invite customers are based on...

In the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, a significant research effort has been made to better understand the links between household debt levels, financial stability risks, and the ongoing implications of the ‘debt overhang’ for economic growth. However, accurately measuring the...

Usury is a frequent occurrence in consumer credit markets and particularly affects low-income households. Although the term usury conjures images of a greedy individual consciously acting to exploit the weak bargaining position of another by deceitful and even fraudulent means, we consider it as...