Abstract:
This paper surveys existing explanations for the pervasive use of collateral in credit markets and relates them to the empirical evidence on the subject. Collateral may be used as a screening or an incentive device in markets characterized by various forms of asymmetric and biased information. The evidence is incompatible with the use of collateral as a signal of projects' quality, while broadly consistent with explanations based on its incentive properties and asymmetric evaluation of projects. Copyright 2000 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd
Related works: Working Paper: On the Use of Collateral (1998) This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.