We are calling for comparisons of banking and banking systems from a spatial perspective. Therefore, this paper develops a classification identifying decentralized and centralized banking according to two characteristics: geographical market orientation (regional vs. supraregional) - to...

A key problem facing microlenders is the high level of information asymmetry between them and their borrowers. In this paper, we analyze whether the relationship intensity between microlenders and borrowers helps to overcome existing information asymmetries and how this impacts access to credit...

This paper investigates how the institutional arrangement in China's financial market increase the cost of capital for underdeveloped areas. I show that fiscal capacity results in higher leverage but not superior profitability for local government financing vehicles. Infrastructure in fiscally...

Infolge der Finanzkrise hatten britische Unternehmen deutlich häufiger Probleme Kredite zu erhalten als deutsche. Die Studie zeigt, dass ein Grund hierfür im deutschen Regionalbankensystem und seinen spezifischen Eigenschaften liegen könnte. Durch die Nähe zum Unternehmer besteht die...

Lending to rural borrowers is a key element of pursuing the poverty alleviation mission of microfinance. However, a strong focus on rural areas is said to hamper the sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs). We analyze this potential trade-off based on data covering 802 microfinance...

We compare mortgage lenders’ credit decisions to algorithmic recommendations – on the same set of loan applications – from widely used Automated Underwriting Systems (AUS) to assess discrimination. In 2018-19, lenders were more likely to deny minority applicants than non-Hispanic white...

Deregulation and progress in information and communication technologies have increased the geographical expansion of banking structures and instruments. This makes banks operationally close to the borrowers. At the same time, banking industry consolidation have induced a geographical...

This article presents findings from the HMDA data through 2016. The number of mortgage originations in 2016 rose 13 percent from 2015. Black and Hispanic white borrowers increased their share of home-purchase loans for the third straight year. The share of mortgages originated by nondepository,...

We assess racial discrimination in mortgage approvals using new data on mortgage applications. Minority applicants tend to have significantly lower credit scores, higher leverage, and are less likely than white applicants to receive algorithmic approval from race-blind government automated...

If banks' performance is to be be evaluated against the objectives they actually pursue, assessments of stakeholder-oriented banks should go beyond financial efficiency. Furthermore, also the environment these institutions operate in has to be kept in mind when interpreting levels of managerial...