For our latest Research Seminar Series, we welcomed Simon J. Blanchard from Georgetown University.
He presented his recent research titled “Supporting Limited English Proficiency Borrowers: The Impact of Offering Multilingual Decision Aids on the Mortgage Lending Process.”

Mortgages represent one of the most consequential and complex financial decisions individuals make in their lives. In the U.S. context, the process often involves multiple parties and complex documentation, extremely confusing many borrowers, especially those with limited English proficiency (LEP). The research presented explores how offering multilingual digital decision aids might influence both borrowers and lenders in the mortgage process.

The study, conducted in partnership with a technology company and a loan provider, explored whether multilingual decision aids could simplify the mortgage process for borrowers with LEP. Results of this field experiment showed that offering such aids slightly reduced loan origination rates but improved outcomes for Spanish-speaking borrowers using tools in their preferred language, suggesting that accessibility enhances the process even if it slows decision-making.

The findings imply that while multilingual tools should be designed to support understanding rather than add complexity to be both beneficial for loan providers and empower borrowers. The meeting closed with an energetic Q&A section on the implications and research design.

Thank you, Simon, for sharing this insightful work and your experience with our community!