Banking Competition and Shrouded Attributes: Evidence from the US Mortgage Market

Abstract

We document that increased competition leads banks to reduce initial rates offered on adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) to attract borrowers but increase interest rates after the rate reset and thereby exploit consumer inattention in pricing terms. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we find that banks shroud more with naive borrowers or less financially sophisticated borrowers, who are more subject to behavioral bias. Although competition reduces firm profits and benefits consumers due to price reduction, the effect is small, since firms respond to competition by increasing add-on prices and loans have lower default rates and delayed prepayments since deregulation.