IFin Seminar, Huan Tang, London school of Economics "The Role of FinTech in Small Business Lending"
Institute of Finance
Date: 22 October 2021 / 12:25 - 13:40
Speaker: Huan Tang, London School of Economics
Title: "The Role of FinTech in Small Business Lending"
Date: October 22, 2021
Time: 12:25 - 13:40
Room: A22 Red Building
Lugano Campus
Abstract
What is the role of FinTech lenders in small business lending markets? Using French administrative data, we show that, relative to similar firms taking new bank loans, SMEs that take a FinTech loan borrow 20% more from banks in the next two years. The effect is more pronounced for low-collateral firms and when the FinTech loan finances the acquisition of tangible assets. This is consistent with firms using uncollateralized FinTech loans to acquire assets that they can pledge to obtain bank loans. We also find evidence that firms use FinTech loans to meet urgent liquidity needs. In contrast, we find no evidence of a superior screening ability of FinTech lenders.
