A Brief Postwar History of U.S. Consumer Finance
Andrea Ryan, Gunnar Trumbull, and Peter Tufano A Brief Postwar History of U.S. Consumer Finance In this brief history of U.S. consumer fi nance since World War II, the sector is defi ned based on the functions delivered by fi rms in the form of payments, savings and investing, bor- rowing, managing risk, and providing advice. Evidence of major trends in consumption, savings, and borrowing is drawn from time-series studies. An examination of consumer deci- sions, changes in regulation, and business practices identifi es four major themes that characterized the consumer-fi nance sector: innovation that increased the choices available to con- sumers; enhanced access in the form of consumers’ broaden- ing participation in fi nancial activities; do-it-yourself con- sumer fi nance, which both allowed and forced consumers to take greater responsibility for their own fi nancial lives; and a resultant increase in household risk taking. he postwar history of consumer fi nance in the United States has T been a story of growth—in variety, in access, and in freedom of choice. Postwar consumerism followed increases in household income and wealth. These trends drove demand for many products and ser- vices, including fi nancial products and services. Firms responded with innovations that offered consumers more choices, including electronic banking (i.e., direct deposit of paychecks and automated-teller-machine [ATM] transactions), credit and debit cards, thousands of mutual funds, and complex mortgages. The increasing variety of products accompa- nied broadening access. More people could get mortgages and purchase homes; more people could invest in low-cost portfolios through mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.
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