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Autori principali: Zhang, Tim, Quinn, Amity
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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Accesso online:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15247
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author Zhang, Tim
Quinn, Amity
author_facet Zhang, Tim
Quinn, Amity
contents This study examines how interest rate caps affect the demand for payday loans, using aggregate data from British Columbia (2012--2019) during which the province's maximum fee was reduced from $23 to $17 and then to \$15 per $100 borrowed. Estimating a linear demand function via OLS, we find that lowering interest rate caps significantly increases loan demand. We estimate that the $8 decrease, from $23 to $15 per $100, raised annual consumer surplus by roughly $28.6 million (2012 CAD). A further reduction to $14, starting in January 2025, would add another $3.9 million per year. These results suggest that stricter interest rate caps can yield substantial consumer welfare gains.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_15247
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Demand and consumer surplus in the payday-loan market: Evidence from British Columbia
Zhang, Tim
Quinn, Amity
General Economics
Economics
This study examines how interest rate caps affect the demand for payday loans, using aggregate data from British Columbia (2012--2019) during which the province's maximum fee was reduced from $23 to $17 and then to \$15 per $100 borrowed. Estimating a linear demand function via OLS, we find that lowering interest rate caps significantly increases loan demand. We estimate that the $8 decrease, from $23 to $15 per $100, raised annual consumer surplus by roughly $28.6 million (2012 CAD). A further reduction to $14, starting in January 2025, would add another $3.9 million per year. These results suggest that stricter interest rate caps can yield substantial consumer welfare gains.
title Demand and consumer surplus in the payday-loan market: Evidence from British Columbia
topic General Economics
Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15247