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Journal of Financial Economics Vol. 147 No. 2 2023

Open banking: Credit market competition when borrowers own the data

Zhiguo He1,2; Jing Huang3; Jidong Zhou4,5

1 University of Chicago · 2 National Bureau of Economic Research · 3 Texas A&M University · 4 Yale University · 5 Whitney Museum of American Art

Abstract

Open banking facilitates data sharing consented to by customers who generate the data, with the regulatory goal of promoting competition between traditional banks and challenger fintech entrants. We study lending market competition when sharing banks’ customer transaction data enables better borrower screening for fintechs. Open banking promotes competition if it helps level the playing field for all lenders in screening borrowers; however, if it over-empowers fintechs, it can also hinder competition and leave all borrowers worse off. Due to the credit quality inference from borrowers’ sign-up decisions, this remains true even if borrowers have the control of whether to share their banking data. We also study extensions with fintech affinities and data sharing on borrower preferences.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfineco.2022.12.003
Volume
147
Issue
2
Pages
449-474
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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