This article provides an introduction to a law review symposium by the Journal of Law, Economics, and Policy on our book (co-authored with Michael E. Staten), Consumer Credit and the American Economy (Oxford 2014). The conference, held November 2014, collects several articles responding to and...

Research conducted many years ago that indicated substantial cost economies of loan size in consumer lending. This finding implies that low interest rate ceilings make small loan sizes unprofitable and will not be available in the marketplace. Furthermore, research indicates that demanders of...

The growth of the American economy in the post-War era has been characterized by a growth in the consumer economy as a fundamental driving force in the economy. In turn, this growth in the consumer economy has been driven by a growth in usage and spread of the use of consumer credit. Yet the...