IIMB Management Review

Journal of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Regulatory Thresholds and the Supply of Small Business Credit

Anubha Dhasmana
2026
Working Paper No
738
Body

This paper examines how regulatory thresholds affect the pricing and structure of small business lending. I exploit the 10 billion Dollar asset cutoff in the Dodd‑Frank Act, which imposes enhanced regulatory requirements on banks, to isolate the impact of regulation on lending outcomes. Banks crossing the threshold increase loan spreads and adjust contract terms by reducing loan size, shortening maturity, and increasing reliance on government guarantees after the implementation of Dodd-Frank act. These effects are concentrated among banks with greater exposure to commercial and industrial lending, consistent with a supply-side channel through which regulatory costs are passed on to borrowers. These findings highlight how size-based regulatory thresholds can distort the allocation of credit by increasing the marginal cost of bank intermediation.

Key words
Difference in Discontinuities, Dodd-Frank Act, Regulatory Threshold, Small Business Lending
WP No. 738.pdf (1.12 MB)

Regulatory Thresholds and the Supply of Small Business Credit

Author(s) Name: Anubha Dhasmana, 2026
Working Paper No : 738
Abstract:

This paper examines how regulatory thresholds affect the pricing and structure of small business lending. I exploit the 10 billion Dollar asset cutoff in the Dodd‑Frank Act, which imposes enhanced regulatory requirements on banks, to isolate the impact of regulation on lending outcomes. Banks crossing the threshold increase loan spreads and adjust contract terms by reducing loan size, shortening maturity, and increasing reliance on government guarantees after the implementation of Dodd-Frank act. These effects are concentrated among banks with greater exposure to commercial and industrial lending, consistent with a supply-side channel through which regulatory costs are passed on to borrowers. These findings highlight how size-based regulatory thresholds can distort the allocation of credit by increasing the marginal cost of bank intermediation.

Keywords: Difference in Discontinuities, Dodd-Frank Act, Regulatory Threshold, Small Business Lending
WP No. 738.pdf (1.12 MB)