Rational Herding in Microloan Markets

• Published in: Management science Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 892 - 912
• Main Authors: Zhang, Juanjuan, Liu, Peng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hanover, MD INFORMS 01.05.2012; Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Asymmetrische Information; Bayesian analysis; Bayesian inference; Borrowing; Capital formation; Credit; Credit management; Datasets; Debt management; Default; Economics; Endorsements; Exact sciences and technology; Experimental methods; Financial services; Funding; General aspects; Generalized method of moments; Herdenverhalten; Herding; Herds; Kreditmarkt; Lenders; Listings; Loan defaults; Loans; Management; Management science; Microeconomics; Microfinance; Microfinance institutions; microloan markets; Microloans; Observational learning; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Peer relationships; peer-to-peer lending; Portfolio theory; Prosper.com; Rational behaviour; rational herding; Rationalität; Services; Stock-exchange; Studies; U.S.A; Websites; United States; United States > US; Bayes estimation; Loans; peer-to-peer lending; Crowding effect; Prosper.com; Inference; observational learning; Externality; rational herding; Heterogeneity; Credit; Loan; Microfinance; Financing; Defect; Bayesian inference; microloan markets

Microloan markets allow individual borrowers to raise funding from multiple individual lenders. We use a unique panel data set that tracks the funding dynamics of borrower listings on Prosper.com, the largest microloan market in the United States. We find evidence of rational herding among lenders....