In this brief history of U.S. consumer finance since World War II, the sector is defined based on the functions delivered by firms in the form of payments, savings and investing, borrowing, managing risk, and providing advice. Evidence of major trends in consumption, savings, and borrowing is...

A new entrant in the nascent online peer lending space, Lending Club must decide whether or not to register with the SEC. Lending Club provided a platform through which individual borrowers could receive loans funded by individuals who chose to invest in them. The management team wanted to grow...

Kinecta Federal Credit Union has the opportunity to purchase Nix Check Cashing as part of their "blue ocean" strategy to reach the financially underserved and increase credit union membership and deposits. But they face financial as well as reputational risk. Check cashing, payday lending and...

In 2002, two homeowners in Massachusetts are deciding whether to refinance their home less than two years after taking out an initial mortgage and a subsequent home equity line of credit.

The third conference on the future of life-cycle saving and investing, entitled “Financial Education and Consumer Financial Protection,” was held at the Boston University School of Management on 23–25 May 2011. Like the previous two conferences, it was organized by Professor Zvi Bodie of...

On a wintery day in early 2011, the small team at Doorways to Dreams Fund (D2D) finished up one of their many conference calls, beeps announcing as each person hung up. The ten-yearold organization based in Roxbury, Massachusetts, drew upon a broad range of volunteers including students,...

In the summer of 1999, Adecco SA, one of the world's leading staffing companies, was in the midst of attempting to acquire the staffing operations of Olsten Corp., a U.S. firm. This case analyzes the economics of the staffing industry, basic valuation, cross-border issues including tax...