Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 14th May 2024, 08:13:20am EDT

 
 
Session Overview
Session
Track W1-5: Real Estate
Time:
Wednesday, 22/May/2024:
1:45pm - 2:30pm

Session Chair: Charles Nathanson, Northwestern University
Discussant: Daniel Ringo, Federal Reserve
Location: Room 619


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Presentations

Language Frictions in Consumer Credit

Chao Liu

Northwestern University

This paper studies how language barriers between lenders and borrowers translate into differences in borrower outcomes in the U.S. mortgage market. I use survey data to infer and machine learning techniques to predict borrowers' English proficiency. I document significant descriptive differences in perceptions of mortgages, application experiences, and mortgage rates between limited English proficient (LEP) and non-LEP borrowers. To measure the causal effects of language frictions, I exploit a Federal Housing Finance Agency policy that provided translated mortgage documents in Spanish to mortgage lenders. After the policy change, LEP Hispanic borrowers had a streamlined application process, contacted more lenders, understood mortgage contracts better, and enjoyed lower borrowing costs. Reducing language frictions also led to expanded access to credit, reduced loan risks, and a more competitive mortgage market for LEP borrowers. Overall, my findings highlight a cost-effective way to create a responsible inclusion of well-qualified LEP borrowers in the mortgage market.


Liu-Language Frictions in Consumer Credit-181.pdf


 
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