Finance and Economics Discussion Series (FEDS)
February 2023
Bank Relationships and the Geography of PPP Lending
Abstract:
I study how bank relationships affected the timing and geographic distribution of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) lending. Half of banks' PPP loans went to borrowers within 2 miles of a branch, mostly driven by relationship lending. Firms near less active lenders shifted to fintechs and other distant lenders, resulting in delays receiving credit but only slightly lower loan volumes. I estimate a structural model to fit the observed relationship between branch distance, bank PPP activity, and origination timing. I find that banks served relationship borrowers 5 to 9 days before other borrowers, an effect in line with reduced-form estimates using a sample of PPP borrowers with previous SBA lending relationships.
Keywords: Banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions, COVID-19, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Relationship Lending
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2023.014
PDF: Full Paper
Related Materials: Accessible Materials (.zip)
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