The Impact of Crisis-Period Interest Rate Declines on Distressed Borrowers

Published in Review of Financial Studies, 2023

Key Highlight: Distressed borrowers treated with larger benchmark interest rate declines benefit from increased debt-renegotiation and lower debt-service payments. However, following debt-renegotiation, surviving treated borrowers re-enter and linger in serious delinquency. Findings suggest that while monetary policy may effect reductions in benchmark rates and spur debt-renegotiation, such interventions alone may not lead to longer-run curative outcomes.