Thomas A. Durkin has specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services, in the federal government as Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Board, in the academic area as Associate Professor of Finance at the Pennsylvania State University, and in the private sector as Chief Economist of the American Financial Services Association.Gregory Elliehausen has also specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services, as Economist and Senior Economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and in the academic sector as Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University and Associate Professor at George Washington University.Michael E. Staten has also specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services in the academic sector at the University of Arizona, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Purdue University, and the University of Delaware.

• 1. Introduction and Overview of Consumer Credit: Development, Uses, Kinds, and Policy Issues ; 2. Consumer Credit in the Postwar Era ; 3. The Demand for Consumer Credit ; 4. Behavioral Analysis and the Demand for Consumer Credit ; 5. The Supply of Consumer Credit ; 6. Information and Credit Reporting ; 7. Consumer Credit and the Payments System: Evolution of the Credit Card ; 8. Credit for All? Issues and Concerns About Credit Availability ; 9. Federal Regulation of Consumer Credit: Credit Granting Discrimination ; 10. Federal Regulation of Consumer Credit: Disclosures ; 11. State Regulation of Consumer Credit ; 12. A Complement and a Supplement to Consumer Credit: Debt Protection and Automobile Leasing ; 13. Troubled Consumers ; 14. Conclusions

This is a book for both professional economists who do and do not specialize in this field and for informed laypersons who want to understand better this important facet of the economy. For the first time a single work brings together the history, economics, sociology, law, and regulation of consumer credit markets and institutions. It will become the standard source and reference for questions of public policy in this important area.

Thomas A. Durkin has specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services, in the federal government as Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Board, in the academic area as Associate Professor of Finance at the Pennsylvania State University, and in the private sector as Chief Economist of the American Financial Services Association.Gregory Elliehausen has also specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services, as Economist and Senior Economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and in the academic sector as Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University and Associate Professor at George Washington University.Michael E. Staten has also specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services in the academic sector at the University of Arizona, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Purdue University, and the University of Delaware.

• 1. Introduction and Overview of Consumer Credit: Development, Uses, Kinds, and Policy Issues ; 2. Consumer Credit in the Postwar Era ; 3. The Demand for Consumer Credit ; 4. Behavioral Analysis and the Demand for Consumer Credit ; 5. The Supply of Consumer Credit ; 6. Information and Credit Reporting ; 7. Consumer Credit and the Payments System: Evolution of the Credit Card ; 8. Credit for All? Issues and Concerns About Credit Availability ; 9. Federal Regulation of Consumer Credit: Credit Granting Discrimination ; 10. Federal Regulation of Consumer Credit: Disclosures ; 11. State Regulation of Consumer Credit ; 12. A Complement and a Supplement to Consumer Credit: Debt Protection and Automobile Leasing ; 13. Troubled Consumers ; 14. Conclusions

This is a book for both professional economists who do and do not specialize in this field and for informed laypersons who want to understand better this important facet of the economy. For the first time a single work brings together the history, economics, sociology, law, and regulation of consumer credit markets and institutions. It will become the standard source and reference for questions of public policy in this important area.

Thomas A. Durkin has specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services, in the federal government as Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Board, in the academic area as Associate Professor of Finance at the Pennsylvania State University, and in the private sector as Chief Economist of the American Financial Services Association.Gregory Elliehausen has also specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services, as Economist and Senior Economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and in the academic sector as Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University and Associate Professor at George Washington University.Michael E. Staten has also specialized in the economics and regulation of consumer financial services in the academic sector at the University of Arizona, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Purdue University, and the University of Delaware.

• 1. Introduction and Overview of Consumer Credit: Development, Uses, Kinds, and Policy Issues ; 2. Consumer Credit in the Postwar Era ; 3. The Demand for Consumer Credit ; 4. Behavioral Analysis and the Demand for Consumer Credit ; 5. The Supply of Consumer Credit ; 6. Information and Credit Reporting ; 7. Consumer Credit and the Payments System: Evolution of the Credit Card ; 8. Credit for All? Issues and Concerns About Credit Availability ; 9. Federal Regulation of Consumer Credit: Credit Granting Discrimination ; 10. Federal Regulation of Consumer Credit: Disclosures ; 11. State Regulation of Consumer Credit ; 12. A Complement and a Supplement to Consumer Credit: Debt Protection and Automobile Leasing ; 13. Troubled Consumers ; 14. Conclusions

This is a book for both professional economists who do and do not specialize in this field and for informed laypersons who want to understand better this important facet of the economy. For the first time a single work brings together the history, economics, sociology, law, and regulation of consumer credit markets and institutions. It will become the standard source and reference for questions of public policy in this important area.