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  4. Paying Too Much? Borrower Sophistication and Overpayment in the U.S. Mortgage Market
 
research article

Paying Too Much? Borrower Sophistication and Overpayment in the U.S. Mortgage Market

Bhutta, Neil
•
Fuster, Andreas  
•
Hizmo, Aurel
December 9, 2025
The Journal of Finance

Comparing mortgage rates that borrowers obtain to rates that lenders could offer for the same loan, we find that many homeowners significantly overpay for their mortgage, with overpayment varying across borrower types and with market interest rates. Survey data reveal that borrowers' mortgage knowledge and shopping behavior strongly correlate with the rates they secure. We also document substantial variation in how expensive and profitable lenders are, without any evidence that expensive loans are associated with a better borrower experience. Despite many lenders operating in the U.S. mortgage market, limited borrower sophistication may provide lenders with market power.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1111/jofi.70001
Author(s)
Bhutta, Neil
Fuster, Andreas  

EPFL

Hizmo, Aurel
Date Issued

2025-12-09

Publisher

Wiley

Published in
The Journal of Finance
Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
SFI-AF  
Available on Infoscience
December 12, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/256977
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