publication

Interest rate caps in an economy with formal and informal credit markets

Authors:
Jorge POZO
2022

In this work, we aim to study the implications of the interest rate cap in an emerging economy. To do so we develop a two-period banking model with entrepreneurs that undertake risky projects and with formal and informal lenders. Entrepreneurs are heterogeneous in their level of net worth. We find that a cap on the lending interest rate excludes entrepreneurs with a low level of net worth, which in turn increases the participation of the informal credit market, but also might reduce bank markups increasing entrepreneurs' welfare. As a result, our model implies that the lower the market power of banks, the smaller the likelihood that the cap might have some positive impact on aggregate credit and investment.