FRIC/Finance Seminar with Anthony A. DeFusco, Northwestern University

The Department of Finance and FRIC, Center for Financial Frictions, are proud to announce the upcoming seminar with Anthony A. DeFusco, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

Anthony A. DeFusco will present:

No Job, No Money, No Refi: Frictions to Refinancing in a Recession

ABSTRACT
We study how employment documentation requirements and out-of-pocket closing costs constrain mortgage refinancing. These frictions, which bind most severely during re-cessions, may significantly inhibit monetary policy pass-through. To study their effects on refinancing, we exploit an FHA policy change that excluded unemployed borrowers from refinancing and increased others’ out-of-pocket costs substantially. These changes dramatically reduced refinancing rates, particularly among the likely unemployed and those facing new out-of-pocket costs. Our results imply that unemployed and liquidity-constrained borrowers have a high latent demand for refinancing. Cyclical variation in these factors may therefore affect both the aggregate and distributional consequences of monetary policy.

Find the paper here.

Location:
Solbjerg Plads 3,
2000 Frederiksberg
Room: SPs08