The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is hosting its biennial researh conference, Recent Developments in Consumer Credit and Payments. The seven selected papers represent hot topics in economic research on consumer credit. Two papers focus on mortgage issues, including a paper by Tomasz Piskorski on the effects of securitization on distressed loan renegotiation. This has been a hotly contested topic, both on Credit Slips and in policy circles. The New York Times had a front-page story today on the incentives of servicers to modify loans, touching upon studies that examine how and whether securitization may limit modifications. Other papers deal with payday borrowing, bankruptcy reform, and retail lending. The full agenda is here.
The conference will be held Sept. 24-25 in Philadelphia. Registration information is available from the first link above.