Business Microloans for U.S. Subprime Borrowers

50 Pages Posted: 6 Oct 2012 Last revised: 13 Apr 2016

See all articles by Cesare Fracassi

Cesare Fracassi

University of Texas at Austin

Mark J. Garmaise

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management

Shimon Kogan

Reichman University - Arison School of Business; University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School

Gabriel Natividad

Universidad de Piura

Date Written: 2016

Abstract

We show that business microloans to U.S. subprime borrowers have a very large impact on subsequent firm success. Using data on startup loan applicants from a lender that employed an automated algorithm in its application review, we implement a regression discontinuity design assessing the causal impact of receiving a loan on firms. Startups receiving funding are dramatically more likely to survive, enjoy higher revenues and create more jobs. Loans are more consequential for survival among subprime business owners with more education and less managerial experience.

JEL Classification: G32, L26, M13

Suggested Citation

Fracassi, Cesare and Garmaise, Mark J. and Kogan, Shimon and Natividad, Gabriel, Business Microloans for U.S. Subprime Borrowers (2016). Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (JFQA), 51 (1), 55-83, February 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2157707 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2157707

Cesare Fracassi

University of Texas at Austin ( email )

McCombs School of Business
2110 Speedway Stop B6600
Austin, TX 78712-1276
United States
512-232-6843 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://faculty.mccombs.utexas.edu/cesare.fracassi/

Mark J. Garmaise (Contact Author)

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management ( email )

110 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1481
United States

Shimon Kogan

Reichman University - Arison School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 167
Herzliya, 46150
Israel

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

Gabriel Natividad

Universidad de Piura ( email )

Calle Martir Olaya 162
Lima, Lima L18
Peru

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