Using a novel data set, we study the soft information in subprime mortgages that is not verifiable by a third party, and its relationship with mortgage default. We find that lender effort to collect soft information is intertwined with borrower self-selection into subprime mortgages. We employ...

We study the determinants of the subprime mortgage loan spread, with a particular focus on funding liquidity and default-liquidity interaction effects. We find that sector-level as well as macro funding liquidity provision affected subprime loan rates, explaining a significant portion of the...