APPAM Communities Consumer Credit Data Users

Session Submission Type: APPAM Communities

Community Group Description

Consumer credit data is now a common data source used in social science research, but it is complex to use, expensive to buy, and requires expertise in consumer finance to interpret.  As evidenced by a recent article in the Journal of Economic Literature (https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jel.20241737), there is benefit in combining and sharing knowledge about the benefits and pitfalls of using these data.

We will discuss:

• Differences in data extracts and purchasing from the bureaus


• Recommended data cleaning and preparation 


• Common pitfalls


• Interpretation issues


• Existing and potential data linkages


• Existing panels and their pros/cons


• Potential for mutual benchmarking

Policy Area

• APPAM Communities

Organizers

• Stephanie Moulton, The Ohio State University

• Evan White, University of California, Berkeley

• Breno Braga, Urban Institute