The practice of borrowing money has long been important to our economy and greatly impacts the everyday lives of individuals and businesses who drive the global economy. However, one only needs to look at the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s as well as the financial crisis of 2007-2008 here in America to see the devastating effects on borrowers and lenders of making bad loans. During and after the recessions associated with these crises, traditional banks and mortgage lenders relied heavily on obtaining collateral to secure loans. The typical collateral such as real estate was underwater in value, and the real estate market was so volatile that these traditional lenders were reluctant to make loans for personal use, such …show more content…
These unsecured loans are used to pay for everyday items (such as a car, travel, college tuition, elective medical procedures, etc.) or to consolidate and pay off other debts with a single payment and lower interest rate than a typical credit card. Most recently, as competitive pressures have increased in the market and Lending Club's performance had begun to stall, Lending Club stayed in the foreground of its competitors by expanding its model into offering small business loans beginning in 2014 (Mandelbaum, 2015). Small businesses who needed loans in significantly larger amounts were hit especially hard after the financial crisis and had a difficult time obtaining loans without available collateral. By offering unsecured loans to small businesses, Lending Club has been successful in diversifying its business and boosting its bottom line for investors.
This paper analyzes data obtained over the history of Lending Club from 2007 to the most recent year's available data and applies statistical methods to this data as follows. First, it assesses factors that are most highly correlated with the success or failure of a personal loan approved by Lending Club (e.g.: debt to income
The mortgage crisis of 2007 marked catastrophe for millions of homeowners who suffered from foreclosure and short sales. Most of the problems involving the foreclosing of families’ homes could boil down to risky borrowing and lending. Lenders were pushed to ensure families would be eligible for a loan, when in previous years the same families would have been deemed too high-risk to obtain any kind of loan. With the increase in high-risk families obtaining loans, there was a huge increase in home buyers and subsequently a rapid increase in home prices. As a result, prices peaked and then began falling just as fast as they rose. Soon after families began to default on their mortgages forcing them either into foreclosure or short sales. Who was to blame for the risky lending and borrowing that caused the mortgage meltdown? Many might blame the company Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but in reality the entire system of buying and selling and free market failed home owners and the housing economy.
In 2008 the real estate market crashed because of the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act and Commodities Futures Modernization Act, which led to shady mortgage lending or “liar loans” (Hartman). The loans primarily approved for lower income and middle class borrowers with little income or no job income verification, which lead to many buyers purchasing homes they could not afford because everyone wants a piece of the American dream; homeownership. Because of “reckless lending to lower- and middle-income borrowers who could not afford to repay their loans many of the home buyers lost everything when the market collapsed” (Tankersley 3). Homeowners often continued to live in their houses for months or years without paying any
As competition increased between savings and loans, banks, and credit unions, banks were eager to attract loan applicants in order to increase revenue and compete with other financial institutions. Jack S. Light, the author of Increasing Competition between Financial Institutions, said in his book that “commercial banks are diversifying their assets toward higher percentages of mortgages and consumer loans, and thrift institutions are seeking authority to diversify their loan structures. Moreover, mounting pressures are working toward, and have partially succeeded in, changing the authority of thrifts to include third-party payment accounts similar to commercial bank demand deposits.” (Light) Because of this eagerness to bring in new clients, they were willing to give out loans without checking into the financial stability of the borrower or the business that was requesting the loan. Unfortunately since the banks didn 't look into their clients’ financials adequately, many clients defaulted on their loans because they could not afford the payments, especially when balloon payments started.
The financial crisis emerged because of an excessive deregulation of business operation of financial institutions and of abusing the securitization mechanism in the absence of clearly defined rules to regulate this area in the American mortgage market (Krstić, Jemović, & Radojičić, 2013). Deregulation gives larger banks the opportunity to loosen underwriting lender guidelines and generate increase opportunity for homeownership (Kroszner & Strahan, 2013). After deregulation, banks utilized many versions of mortgage loans. Mortgage loans such as subprime and Alternative-A paper loans became available for borrowers challenged to find mortgage lenders before deregulation (Elbarouki, 2016; Palmer, 2015). The housing market has been severely affected by fluctuating interest rates and the requirement of large down payment (Follain, & Giertz, 2013). The subprime lending crisis has taken a toll on the nation’s economy since 2007. Individuals who lacked sufficient credit ratings or down payments resorted to subprime mortgages to finance their homes Defaults on subprime and other mortgages precipitated the foreclosure crisis, which contributed to the recent recession and national financial crisis (Odetunde, 2015). Subprime mortgages were appropriate for borrowers with substandard credit and Alternate-A paper loans were
The U.S. economy is currently experiencing its worst crisis since the Great Depression. The crisis started in the home mortgage market, especially the market for so-called “subprime” mortgages, and is now spreading beyond subprime to prime mortgages, commercial real estate, corporate junk bonds, and other forms of debt. Total losses of U.S. banks could reach as high as one-third of the total bank capital. The crisis has led to a sharp reduction in bank lending, which in turn is causing a severe recession in the U.S. economy.
“According to the New York Federal Reserve, U.S. student loan debt has soared to $1.3 trillion becoming the second highest consumer debt category, more than both credit cards and auto loans” (Fernandez, 2017). The national debt level for student loans has been rising at an alarming rate in recent years and many people have the notion of student loan debt potentially leading to the next financial crisis for the United States economy. Nevertheless, despite the sheer amount of student loan debt, many positive effects have been overlooked. The positive effects student loans have on our economy could be compared to that of a stone thrown into a lake causing change in many directions. Indeed, financial aid for students have expanding effects beyond the initial debt incurred – leading to a healthier economy rather than a financial crisis. Student loans have improved the United States economy by providing an opportunity for students to attend college and increase their employment opportunity, increased income for college graduates, increased consumer spending, and increased tax revenue for the U.S. government.
The most commonly known sub-prime finance crisis came into illumination when a sudden rise in home foreclosures in 2006 twirled seemingly out of control in 2007, triggering a nationwide economic crisis that went worldwide within the year. The greatest responsibility is pointed at the lenders who created such problems. It was the lenders who, at the end of the day, lend finances to citizens with poor credit and a high risk of failure to pay. When the Feds inundated the markets with growing capital
Mr. Paul Mackay, a sole proprietor, has approached the Commercial Bank of Ontario in order to obtain an additional $194,000 bank loan and a $26,000 line of credit. Paul owns and operates a general merchandising retailer in Riverdale, Ontario named Lawsons’. The bank loan is needed for Mr. Mackay to reduce his trade debt that has a sheer 13.5 per cent interest penalty. The line of credit is needed for sales seasonal downfalls so that Mr. Mackay could properly manage those tough months. Jackie Patrick, a first time loans officer, has been appointed to Mr. Mackay’s request. Although anxious to finish her first loan, Ms. Patrick knows that this particular case is a difficult one.
In 2008, one of the worst financial crises since the Great Depression occurred. The severity of this collapse cannot be understated as demonstrated by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the fourth largest investment bank in the US, and with many other financial institutions such as Merrill Lynch and the Royal Bank of Scotland having to be bailed out. In addition, the Global Banking System was within a whisker of collapsing and if it where not for the trillions of dollars invested in the system by national banks then this banking collapse would have lead to economic catastrophe. Therefore, in order to avoid such a calamity from occurring again, it is important to ask the question why did this financial recession occur and what factors contributed towards this downfall? Although there are many reasons as to why this recession occurred it could be argued that securitized lending and shadow banking played the largest role in this economic crisis. It is therefore important to understand what securitized lending and shadow banking means. Securitized lending is the process by which a financial institution such as a bank pools illiquid assets, such as residential and commercial mortgages and auto loans (by which the bank receives from the public through house mortgages and loans), and loans these newly formed short-term bonds to third party investors in exchange for cash or collateral. Since its creation in the 18th century, securitized lending was increasingly popular and very much
Another major characteristic of microfinance is that they have numerous loans to informally-organised businesses which are often in small amounts over a short-term period with turnover of the aggregate loan portfolio maturing several times during the year. These are unsecure loans with simple repayment structure and documentation, but interest rates are generally higher than those in the formal sector (Anderson, 2002).
One of the first indications of the late 2000 financial crisis that led to downward spiral known as the “Recession” was the subprime mortgages; known as the “mortgage mess”. A few years earlier the substantial boom of the housing market led to the uprising of mortgage loans. Because interest rates were low, investors took advantage of the low rates to buy homes that they could in return ‘flip’ (reselling) and homeowners bought homes that they typically wouldn’t have been able to afford. High interest rates usually keep people from borrowing money because it limits the amount available to use for an investment. But the creation of the subprime mortgage
Housing prices in the United States rose steadily after the World War II. Although some research indicated that the financial crisis started in the US housing market, the main cause of the financial crisis between 2007 and 2009 was actually the combination of housing bubble and credit boom. The banks created so much loan that pushed the housing price to the peak. As the bank lend out a huge amount of money, the level of individual debt also rose along with the housing price. Since the debt rose faster than people’s income, people were unable to repay their loan and bank found themselves were in danger. As this showed a signal for people, people withdrew money from the banks they considered as “safe” before, and increased the “haircuts” on repos and difficulties experienced by commercial paper issuers. This caused the short term funding market in the shadow banking system appeared a
Due to such events as the subprime mortgage crisis, the auto market and Wall Street’s failure, the United States suffered a severe economic blow. Looking at the situation from an economic view, supply is supposed to equal demand. Due to the mortgage crisis and the careless attempts of some to make money, there is a superfluous amount of empty homes throughout the United States. In the subprime mortgage crisis, the nature of the failure was the inability to account for money given to individuals, who lack the appropriate requirements. In order to obtain a loan, collateral is needed. References were not being checked and poor credit history went ignored. People were obtaining loans and not paying attention to the interests rates associated. “This time around, the slack standards allowed millions of high-risk borrowers to get easy home mortgages. When this so-called subprime market collapsed beginning about a year ago, ordinary working people bore the brunt” (Gallagher, 2008). Companies were so anxious to place people in homes, that it cost them billions of dollars and
In relation to the increase in house’s price, the rise of financial agreements such as mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized debt obligations (CDO) encouraged investors to invest in the U.S housing market (Krugman, 2009). When housing price declined in the U.S, many financial institutions that borrowed and invested in subprime mortgage reported losses. In addition, the fall of housing price resulted in default and foreclosure and that began to exhaust consumer’s wealth and
As technology improves, the wide use of “hard information”, such as the borrower’s credit history, reduces informational asymmetries. Therefore, long-distance small business lending is easier (Frame, Srinivasan, \& Woosley, 2001; Petersen \& Rajan, 2002). However, even with the use of credit score data, collecting ``soft information" still helps local lenders control risks to avoid delinquency (DeYoung, Glennon, \& Nigro, 2008) and provides informational advances in offering more favorable rates (Agarwal \& Hauswald, 2010).