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Consumer Credit and the American Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Durkin, Thomas A.

    (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)

  • Elliehausen, Gregory

    (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)

  • Staten, Michael E.

    (University of Arizona)

  • Zywicki, Todd J.

    (George Mason University School of Law)

Abstract

Consumer Credit and the American Economy examines the economics, behavioral science, sociology, history, institutions, law, and regulation of consumer credit in the United States. After discussing the origins and various kinds of consumer credit available in today's marketplace, this book reviews at some length the long run growth of consumer credit to explore the widely held belief that somehow consumer credit has risen "too fast for too long. " It then turns to demand and supply with chapters discussing neoclassical theories of demand, new behavioral economics, and evidence on production costs and why consumer credit might seem expensive compared to some other kinds of credit like government finance. This discussion includes review of the economics of risk management and funding sources, as well discussion of the economic theory of why some people might be limited in their credit search, the phenomenon of credit rationing. This examination includes review of issues of risk management through mathematical methods of borrower screening known as credit scoring and financial market sources of funding for offerings of consumer credit. The book then discusses technological change in credit granting. It examines how modern automated information systems called credit reporting agencies, or more popularly "credit bureaus, " reduce the costs of information acquisition and permit greater credit availability at less cost. This discussion is followed by examination of the logical offspring of technology, the ubiquitous credit card that permits consumers access to both payments and credit services worldwide virtually instantly. After a chapter on institutions that have arisen to supply credit to individuals for whom mainstream credit is often unavailable, including "payday loans " and other small dollar sources of loans, discussion turns to legal structure and the regulation of consumer credit. There are separate chapters on the theories behind the two main thrusts of federal regulation to this point, fairness for all and financial disclosure. Following these chapters, there is another on state regulation that has long focused on marketplace access and pricing. Before a final concluding chapter, another chapter focuses on two noncredit marketplace products that are closely related to credit. The first of them, debt protection including credit insurance and other forms of credit protection, is economically a complement. The second product, consumer leasing, is a substitute for credit use in many situations, especially involving acquisition of automobiles. This chapter is followed by a full review of consumer bankruptcy, what happens in the worst of cases when consumers find themselves unable to repay their loans. Because of the importance of consumer credit in consumers' financial affairs, the intended audience includes anyone interested in these issues, not only specialists who spend much of their time focused on them. For this reason, the authors have carefully avoided academic jargon and the mathematics that is the modern language of economics. It also examines the psychological, sociological, historical, and especially legal traditions that go into fully understanding what has led to the demand for consumer credit and to what the markets and institutions that provide these products have become today. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780195169928/toc.html

Suggested Citation

  • Durkin, Thomas A. & Elliehausen, Gregory & Staten, Michael E. & Zywicki, Todd J., 2014. "Consumer Credit and the American Economy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195169928.
  • Handle: RePEc:oxp:obooks:9780195169928
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Onyumbe Enumbe Ben Lukongo & Thomas W. Miller, 2022. "The cost of rate caps: Evidence from Arkansas," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 45(4), pages 881-909, December.
    2. Miller, Thomas, 2019. "How Do Small-Dollar, Nonbank Loans Work?," Annals of Computational Economics, George Mason University, Mercatus Center, April.
    3. Tuomas Takalo, 2019. "Regulation of short-term consumer credits," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(4), pages 348-354, December.
    4. Lukongo, Onyumbe Enumbe & Miller, Thomas, 2017. "Adverse Consequences of the Binding Constitutional Interest Rate Cap in the State of Arkansas," Working Papers 07446, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    5. Cifuentes, Rodrigo & Margaretic, Paula & Saavedra, Trinidad, 2020. "Measuring households' financial vulnerabilities from consumer debt: Evidence from Chile," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    6. Elliehausen, Gregory & Hannon, Simona M., 2024. "FinTech and banks: Strategic partnerships that circumvent state usury laws," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    7. Mary Eschelbach Hansen & Julie Routzahn, 2014. "Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Debt and Financial Position: The Impact of the Great Recession," Working Papers 2014-10, American University, Department of Economics.
    8. Elliehausen, Gregory & Hannon, Simona M., 2018. "The Credit Card Act and consumer finance company lending," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 109-119.
    9. J. Brandon Bolen & Gregory Elliehausen & Thomas W. Miller, 2020. "Do Consumers Need More Protection From Small‐Dollar Lenders? Historical Evidence And A Roadmap For Future Research," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(4), pages 1577-1613, October.
    10. Arango, Luis E. & Cardona-Sosa, Lina, 2023. "Consumer credit in an emerging economy: Demand, supply, and liquidity restrictions," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    11. Thomas A. Durkin & Gregory E. Elliehausen, 2017. "New Evidence on an Old Unanswered Question : Why Some Borrowers Purchase Credit Insurance and Other Debt Protection and Some Do Not," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2017-122, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    12. Gregory E. Elliehausen & Simona Hannon, 2017. "The Credit Card Act and Consumer Finance Company Lending," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2017-072, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    13. Gregory E. Elliehausen & Simona Hannon, 2023. "FinTech and Banks: Strategic Partnerships That Circumvent State Usury Laws," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-056, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    14. Gregory E. Elliehausen & Simona Hannon & Thomas W. Miller, Jr., 2021. "A New Look at the Effects of the Interest Rate Ceiling in Arkansas," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2021-045r1, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), revised 05 May 2023.
    15. Anderson, Michael H. & Jackson, Raymond, 2021. "Option value and auto title loans," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).

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