How accounts shape lending decisions through fostering perceived trustworthiness

We examine the roles of social accounts in influencing lenders' decisions about loaning money to borrowers. Using field data and a laboratory experiment, we show that lenders will lend money depending on the accounts borrowers tell. In Study 1, field data from a peer-to-peer lending website reveal that two-account combinations (explanation-acknowledgment and explanation-denial) increase the likelihood of favorable lending decisions. A laboratory study helps explain the important role of accounts by unpacking the process of perceived borrower trustworthiness in lending decisions. A final field study assessing the performance of loans 2 years after origination shows that accounts, despite having a positive effect on the loan decision process, negatively predict loan performance. Collectively, the three studies show that accounts facilitate economic exchanges between unacquainted transaction partners because of their role in increasing perceived trustworthiness, but that ironically, accounts can negatively relate to loan performance.Accounts Trustworthiness Auctions Decision making under uncertainty Lending Peer-to-peer

Banking Beyond Banks and Money. A Guide to Banking Services in the Twenty-First Century

The emergence of crowdfunding has attracted attention from borrowers, investors, banks and regulators alike. This chapter reviews its historical development, distinguishes between different business models, and discusses its disruptive potential and future growth prospects. Focusing mainly on lending- and equity based crowdfunding, it further presents insights related to participants’ behavior on crowdfunding platforms and regulatory advancements in different countries