Liability structure in small-scale finance [electronic resource] : evidence from a natural experimen / Carpena, Fenella

By: Carpena, FenellaContributor(s): Carpena, Fenella | Cole, Shawn | Shapiro, Jeremy | Zia, BilalMaterial type: TextTextPublication details: Washington, D.C., The World Bank, 2010Description: 1 online resource (34 p.)Subject(s): Access to Finance | Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress | Borrower | Collateral | Commercial banks | Debt Markets | Deposit Insurance | Emerging markets | Expenditure | Finance and Financial Sector Development | Financial market | Financial support | Income inequality | Information asymmetries | International bank | Lenders | Liability | Loan | Microcredit | Microfinance | Optimal contract | Provision of credit | Savings deposits | Transaction | Transaction costsAdditional physical formats: Carpena, Fenella.: Liability structure in small-scale finance.Online resources: Click here to access online Abstract: Microfinance, the provision of small individual and business loans, has witnessed dramatic growth, reaching over 150 million borrowers worldwide. Much of its success has been attributed to overcoming the challenges of information asymmetries in uncollateralized lending. Yet, very little is known about the optimal contract structure of such loans - there is substantial variation across lenders, even within a particular setting. This paper exploits a plausibly exogenous change in the liability structure offered by a microfinance program in India, which shifted from individual to group liability lending. The analysis finds compelling evidence that contract structure matters: for the same borrower, required monthly loan installments are 6 percent less likely to be missed under the group liability setting, relative to individual liability. In addition, compulsory savings deposits are 19 percent less likely to be missed under group liability contracts.
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Microfinance, the provision of small individual and business loans, has witnessed dramatic growth, reaching over 150 million borrowers worldwide. Much of its success has been attributed to overcoming the challenges of information asymmetries in uncollateralized lending. Yet, very little is known about the optimal contract structure of such loans - there is substantial variation across lenders, even within a particular setting. This paper exploits a plausibly exogenous change in the liability structure offered by a microfinance program in India, which shifted from individual to group liability lending. The analysis finds compelling evidence that contract structure matters: for the same borrower, required monthly loan installments are 6 percent less likely to be missed under the group liability setting, relative to individual liability. In addition, compulsory savings deposits are 19 percent less likely to be missed under group liability contracts.

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