Learning about mortgage features

Last registered on April 29, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Learning about mortgage features
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018423
Initial registration date
April 27, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 29, 2026, 3:51 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Christine Eckert
Affiliation
Technical University of Muncih
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Susan Thorp
PI Affiliation
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PI Name
Junhao Liu
PI Affiliation
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-04-27
End date
2026-08-30
Keywords
Finance & Microfinance
Additional Keywords
decision making, mortgage, debt illusion
JEL code(s)
D12, G41, G51
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Recent research shows that the presentation format of information as well as who provides it affects consumer perception of the information. This study examines this phenomenon in the context of home loan choices by testing whether people’s perception of mortgage loan sizes is format- and information provider dependent.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Eckert, Christine, Junhao Liu and Susan Thorp. 2026. "Learning about mortgage features." AEA RCT Registry. April 29. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18423-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Two interventions are introduced in the experiment. More details will be available after the experiment is completed.
Intervention Start Date
2026-04-27
Intervention End Date
2026-08-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Usefulness of calculator; size of mortgage
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We conduct an online survey experiment with a sample of representative Australian households. More details will be available after the experiment is completed.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomisation by computer by the survey panel company.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomisation is individual. More details will be available in the experimental design after the experiment is completed.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
3000 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
3000 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1500 in each treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Research Integrity & Ethics University of Sydney, Australia
IRB Approval Date
2026-03-19
IRB Approval Number
2018/HE000923
Analysis Plan