In most states, the law grants seniority to the oldest mortgage on a house, unless that mortgagee subordinates its claim. We show that this practice significantly impedes the refinancing of first mortgages by imparting blocking power to junior mortgagees. We identify the effect by building a database showing all mortgages of a large panel of homeowners, identifying those whose combined loan-to-value makes them candidates for refinancing their first mortgages, and contrasting the incidence of refinancing between the states following this standard and the states following an alternate standard by which a mortgage inherits the seniority of the mortgage it replaces. JEL: D12, G18, H73, K11 1 Thanks to Dale Whitman for providing the database of state legal environments and to Mathan Glezer and Joe Silverstein for outstanding research assistance. For their helpful comments, we also thank
In most states, the law grants seniority to the oldest mortgage on a house, unless that mortgagee subordinates its claim. We show that this practice significantly impedes the refinancing of first mortgages by imparting blocking power to junior mortgagees. We identify the effect by building a database showing all mortgages of a large panel of homeowners, identifying those whose combined loan-to-value makes them candidates for refinancing their first mortgages, and contrasting the incidence of refinancing between the states following this standard and the states following an alternate standard by which a mortgage inherits the seniority of the mortgage it replaces.JEL: D12, G18, H73, K11 1 Thanks to Dale Whitman for providing the database of state legal environments and to Mathan Glezer and Joe Silverstein for outstanding research assistance. For their helpful comments, we also thank
Purpose
This research aims to examine the decision-making process involved in saving for retirement and compare it with decision-making processes regarding other financial products (such as loans and savings plans) as well as real products (such as a car or a home).
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on the distribution of 107 questionnaires. The questionnaire is composed of two parts: questions examining and focusing on the individual’s decision-making process and questions regarding socioeconomic factors. The average level of risk tolerance is calculated for each respondent with respect to the first four chapters. (These chapters include buying a car or a home, opening a savings plan and taking a loan). Afterward, the consistency (rationality) of the respondents is examined with regard to their decision-making concerning retirement savings plans. Then, an econometric model is used to further test the consistency of the respondents.
Findings
The results suggest that the level of risk tolerance associated with a retirement savings plan is consistent with that associated with the other financial products, but not with the real products. Majority of the respondents demonstrate high risk tolerance with respect to retirement savings, and their decision-making process is similar to a random thinking process. The level of deliberation and information-gathering regarding retirement savings is the lowest when compared with the other financial and real products examined in this paper. Majority of the respondents are less risk-tolerant toward the other financial and real products.
Originality/value
In this research, the authors examine how different individuals with different characteristics get different decisions about their personal retirement savings. The authors also examine these decisions’ deviation from the rational model, and compare it with decision-making processes regarding other financial products as well as real products.
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