Restoring Rational Choice: The Challenge of Consumer Financial Regulation

No 22025, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This lecture considers the case for consumer financial regulation in an environment where many households lack the knowledge to manage their financial affairs effectively. The lecture argues that financial ignorance is pervasive and unsurprising given the complexity of modern financial products, and that it contributes meaningfully to the evolution of wealth inequality. The lecture uses a stylized model to discuss the welfare economics of paternalistic intervention in financial markets, and discusses several specific examples including asset allocation in retirement savings, fees for unsecured short-term borrowing, and reverse mortgages.

JEL-codes: D12 D18 G28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-pke
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (104)

Published as John Y. Campbell, 2016. "Restoring Rational Choice: The Challenge of Consumer Financial Regulation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(5), pages 1-30, May.

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Related works:
Journal Article: Restoring Rational Choice: The Challenge of Consumer Financial Regulation (2016)
Working Paper: Restoring rational choice: The challenge of consumer financial regulation (2016)
Working Paper: Restoring Rational Choice: The Challenge of Consumer Financial Regulation (2016)
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