One of the fastest-growing parts of the financial system in the past 15 years has been private credit, that is, lending not by banks but by other financial institutions or funds that don’t take deposits. The sector expanded ten fold between 2009 and 2023, to reach a value of about $2 trillion, according to McKinsey. And McKinsey thinks it has room to continue growing to become a $30 trillion industry. What does this mean for companies, and for the broader US economy?
Welcome to the Chicago Booth Review podcast, where we bring you groundbreaking academic research in a clear and straightforward way. I’m Hal Weitzman, and today, I’m talking with Chicago Booth’s Amir Sufi about the rise of private capital. Is it better or worse for borrowers? Should we be worried about systemic risk? And why aren’t banks lending as they used to?