Using a unique dataset of home equity credit contracts, we examine the benefits of joint liability lending. Our results show that the risk of default for joint borrowers with similar risk scores is significantly lower than the risk associated with single borrowers. However, when joint borrowers...

We analyze more than 74,000 home equity loans and lines of credit to study the role of information asymmetry. This credit market is characterized by borrowers who face a menu of contract options with varying collateral requirements and prices. Our results show that a less credit worthy applicant...

Credit underwriting is a dynamic process involving multiple interactions between borrower and lender. During this process, lenders have the opportunity to obtain hard and soft information from the borrower. We analyze more than 108,000 home equity loans and lines-of-credit applications to study...