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Do Consumers Need More Protection From Small‐Dollar Lenders? Historical Evidence And A Roadmap For Future Research

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  • J. Brandon Bolen
  • Gregory Elliehausen
  • Thomas W. Miller

Abstract

We summarize the current debate surrounding four small‐dollar credit products: pawn loans, vehicle title loans, payday loans, and cash installment loans from finance companies. We review the contributions of scholars that inform this debate. We underscore that users of these products fit the description of those whom consumer credit models predict benefit from these products. Many studies find that, on average, consumer use of small‐dollar credit products is, at worst, innocuous. There are, however, findings of heterogeneity in borrowers' experiences. The disagreements surrounding these credit products and the difficulty in crafting the proper policy response stems from this heterogeneity. (JEL D18, G23)

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:58:y:2020:i:4:p:1577-1613
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12894
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    Cited by:

    1. J. Brandon Bolen & Gregory Elliehausen & Thomas W. Miller, 2023. "Credit for me but not for thee: the effects of the Illinois rate cap," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 197(3), pages 397-420, December.
    2. Victor Medina-Olivares & Raffaella Calabrese, 2023. "Detecting Consumers' Financial Vulnerability using Open Banking Data: Evidence from UK Payday Loans," Papers 2306.01749, arXiv.org.
    3. Megan Doherty Bea, 2023. "Relational foundations of an unequal consumer credit market: Symbiotic ties between banks and payday lenders," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 320-345, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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