U.S. commercial banks are increasingly using credit scoring models to underwrite small business credits. This paper discusses this technology, evaluates the research findings on the effects of this technology on small business credit availability, and links these findings to a number of research and public policy issues. JEL classification: G21, G28, G34, L23

This note shows that oligopolistic loan competition with discriminatory pricing is inefficient when competing banks differ in their ability to screen borrowers: banks with better screening abilities win too small market shares. This result contrasts with a finding by Spence (1976) who showed that an oligopoly with price discrimination achieves first–best efficiency. JEL classification: D43; D82...

This paper explores the determinants of alternative monetary aggregates in Euroland. A sample consisting of quarterly data covering the 1980:1–1998:4 period is considered. We are interested whether a conventionally defined money demand equation is stable in some aggregates as opposed to others. Both long-run and short-run relationships are considered in this paper. Overall, the results indicate...

This paper analyzes some new tests of the Cagan hyperinflation–money demand model which have several advantages relative to those in the literature. They do not confound specification error with rational bubbles, can be implemented with a linear procedure, and are frequently able to detect periodically collapsing bubbles which have challenged existing tests. After a Monte Carlo analysis, the te...

We model the introduction of a new payment method that competes with an existing payment method. Due to network adoption effects, there are two symmetric pure strategy equilibria in which only one of the two payment methods is used. The equilibrium where only the new payment method is used is socially optimal. In an experiment, we find that, depending on the fixed fee for acceptance of the new ...

Cointegration analysis has led to equilibrium-correction econometric systems being ubiquitous. But in a non-stationary world subject to structural breaks, where model and mechanism differ, equilibrium-correction models are a risky device from which to forecast. Equilibrium shifts entail systematic forecast failure, as forecasts will tend to move in the opposite direction to data. We explain the...

This paper analyzes the relationship between money and inflation in a small open economy, where domestic and foreign currencies are perfect substitutes as means of payment. It is shown that, if the path of domestic money supply is such that individuals find it optimal to change the currency in which transactions are settled, there will be an adjustment period during which domestic inflation adj...

This study provides strong evidence for the stability of money demand of a semi-log form for the U.S., a log-log form for Japan and a semi-log form for Australia. This implies that there could be no finite satiation on the money demand curve as the nominal interest rate approaches zero and continue to stay near zero for a long period of time. The results support Friedman’s (1969) zero nominal i...