Transparency in consumer credit. the usage of the APR

The role of Annual Percentage Rate (APR) in installment plan selection was investigated. The choice of analyzing APR was motivated by its wide diffusion due to the mandatory disclosure acts. There have been doubts towards consumer understanding of APR. A sample of 299 consumers were given five series of credit alternatives. The descriptions of the loans were homogeneous and regarded amount borrowed, duration, monthly installment, APR, total repayments, and opportunity cost of capital. Consumers were asked to select a credit option for each series clarifying the motivations of their choice. The ability to select the loan with the highest Net Present Value (NPV) was ascertained. It depends on the awareness of (i) opting for the lowest APR, that is also less than the opportunity cost of capital; and (ii) demanding the extension of the repayment period to improve the convenience of the identified competitive rate. The analysis attested consumer failure to single out the loan with the highest NPV. The reason should be a considerable lack of information about the usage of APR: participants selected the lowest rate but they neglected to consider the opportunity cost of capital and the extension of the repayment period. Furthermore, they sometimes chose the loan contrasting duration and monthly borrowing costs. APR usage may therefore be inapt since employed as a substitute for the monthly installment payment. An overlap between economic convenience and financial sustainability could explain this phenomenon. To improve disclosure, further (or different) borrowing cost measures should be placed in credit advertisements. This is one of the few studies that measure ability to select installments plans considering effects of information availability

Transparency between banks and their customers. information needs and public intervention

Factors such as the spread of complex financial instruments, the broadening of available alternatives, have fostered more decisive public intervention in support of transparency between banks and their customers. The effectiveness of the public intervention measures depends on the actual information needs of consumers. The aim of this paper is to assess the extent and characteristics of the information needs, by analyzing the decision-making processes. High financial sacrifice, high perceived risks, considerable differences between the available alternatives, seem to justify an intense search for information. The precision with which information is searched for would be reduced as an effect of financial experience and knowledge, an perceived excessive complexity of the service and stringent time pressure

Information needs and efficiency in banking services. A 'demand-side' approach

The financial system has always been subject to complex public scrutiny for a number of reasons, aimed at ensuring, for example, the efficient mobilization of savings, the effective management of banking crises and their possible domino effects, while enhancing competition and safeguarding consumers, in the general interest. Ensuring transparency in commercial transactions is part and parcel of this process of scrutiny and is one of the primary obligations of banks, and lenders in general, which are required to inform their customers clearly and transparently, with respect to the characteristics, terms and conditions of their products and services. The changes taking place in the financial system are encouraging the reform of the transparency regulations. Among the most incisive transformations is the spread of complex financial instruments and the broadening of the range of available alternatives. The reform projects that have secured the greatest consensus to date call for the introduction of firmer requirements for the full disclosure, in intelligible terms, of the characteristics and conditions of the services offered, with respect to the amount and structure of the data that should be made available to consumers to enable them to make informed decisions, without leaving them with the impression that they need further information. The aim of this paper is to provide a clear picture of the amount and characteristics of the information that should be made available to consumers when taking out a loan or mortgage. To achieve this aim certain issues must first be addressed, such as investigating the characteristics of the loan process and organizing the information collection activities

Transparency in consumer credit. the usage of the APR

The role of Annual Percentage Rate (APR) in installment plan selection was investigated. The choice of analyzing APR was motivated by its wide diffusion due to the mandatory disclosure acts. There have been doubts towards consumer understanding of APR. A sample of 299 consumers were given five series of credit alternatives. The descriptions of the loans were homogeneous and regarded amount borrowed, duration, monthly installment, APR, total repayments, and opportunity cost of capital. Consumers were asked to select a credit option for each series clarifying the motivations of their choice. The ability to select the loan with the highest Net Present Value (NPV) was ascertained. It depends on the awareness of (i) opting for the lowest APR, that is also less than the opportunity cost of capital; and (ii) demanding the extension of the repayment period to improve the convenience of the identified competitive rate. The analysis attested consumer failure to single out the loan with the highest NPV. The reason should be a considerable lack of information about the usage of APR: participants selected the lowest rate but they neglected to consider the opportunity cost of capital and the extension of the repayment period. Furthermore, they sometimes chose the loan contrasting duration and monthly borrowing costs. APR usage may therefore be inapt since employed as a substitute for the monthly installment payment. An overlap between economic convenience and financial sustainability could explain this phenomenon. To improve disclosure, further (or different) borrowing cost measures should be placed in credit advertisements. This is one of the few studies that measure ability to select installments plans considering effects of information availability

Information needs and efficiency in banking services. A 'demand-side' approach

The financial system has always been subject to complex public scrutiny for a number of reasons, aimed at ensuring, for example, the efficient mobilization of savings, the effective management of banking crises and their possible domino effects, while enhancing competition and safeguarding consumers, in the general interest. Ensuring transparency in commercial transactions is part and parcel of this process of scrutiny and is one of the primary obligations of banks, and lenders in general, which are required to inform their customers clearly and transparently, with respect to the characteristics, terms and conditions of their products and services. The changes taking place in the financial system are encouraging the reform of the transparency regulations. Among the most incisive transformations is the spread of complex financial instruments and the broadening of the range of available alternatives. The reform projects that have secured the greatest consensus to date call for the introduction of firmer requirements for the full disclosure, in intelligible terms, of the characteristics and conditions of the services offered, with respect to the amount and structure of the data that should be made available to consumers to enable them to make informed decisions, without leaving them with the impression that they need further information. The aim of this paper is to provide a clear picture of the amount and characteristics of the information that should be made available to consumers when taking out a loan or mortgage. To achieve this aim certain issues must first be addressed, such as investigating the characteristics of the loan process and organizing the information collection activities

The relationship between everyday practices and financial literacy. an empirical analysis

The global financial crisis has drawn the attention of both scholars and supervisors to the issue of financial education as an instrument for the development of efficient markets. The aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis that financial experience, gained with the daily use of different products and services, has a relevant effect on the acquisition of financial capabilities. Data are drawn by the 2008 Bank of Italy Survey on Household Income and Wealth, collecting a wide set of information on respondents and including 9 multiple-choice quizzes to measure financial literacy. A regression model was performed to assess the impact on financial literacy of four different groups of variables: socio-demographic features; income, consumption and household wealth; formal education and the experience resulting from the active participation in the capital market through the holding of financial assets and the use of specific products. The contribution of each group of regressors was measured with the Bonferroni index. Our results are consistent with previous literature, confirming a higher level of financial literacy for middle-aged adults, men, white collars, teachers, officials and managers, increasing with the years of schooling, household income and wealth. As for the financial experience, the Bonferroni index provided a strong evidence of its crucial role in explaining financial literacy, also with respect to a model already accounting for general education. This finding suggests to policymakers the adoption of incentives on the use of financial instruments or wealth accumulation, other than on educational programs

Impact of financial education and transparency on borrowing decisions. the case of consumer credit

Existing studies are not conclusive in favor of a strong relationship between the financial literacy and the ability to take better borrowing decisions. Results are quite heterogeneous and often point out the relevance of other factors, such as socio-demographic features or practical experience gained with daily use of financial products. The impact of (the amount and quality of) information available at the time of consumer choice is still unexplored. The objective of this paper is to fill in this literature gap and explore a large set of possible drivers of borrowing decisions in the consumer finance framework, with a specific focus on the transparency of price conditions. We interviewed a sample of 299 consumers. They were asked to select the best option between five series of credit alternatives. In order to explore the role of transparency, each series of loans was presented with three different sets of information, with an increasing level of detail. The ability to select the best alternative was measured calculating a score based on the Net Present Value criterion, and analysed as the dependent variable of a regression model with demographic, socioeconomic and financial characteristics as predictors. Our findings show that the amount and quality of available information strongly influence the choice. At the same time, an high level of education do not seem to play a significant role. Financial maturity results to positive influence the ability to select the best alternative and employed people perform better than non-working respondents

Impact of financial education and transparency on borrowing decisions. the case of consumer credit

Existing studies are not conclusive in favor of a strong relationship between the financial literacy and the ability to take better borrowing decisions. Results are quite heterogeneous and often point out the relevance of other factors, such as socio-demographic features or practical experience gained with daily use of financial products. The impact of (the amount and quality of) information available at the time of consumer choice is still unexplored. The objective of this paper is to fill in this literature gap and explore a large set of possible drivers of borrowing decisions in the consumer finance framework, with a specific focus on the transparency of price conditions. We interviewed a sample of 299 consumers. They were asked to select the best option between five series of credit alternatives. In order to explore the role of transparency, each series of loans was presented with three different sets of information, with an increasing level of detail. The ability to select the best alternative was measured calculating a score based on the Net Present Value criterion, and analysed as the dependent variable of a regression model with demographic, socioeconomic and financial characteristics as predictors. Our findings show that the amount and quality of available information strongly influence the choice. At the same time, an high level of education do not seem to play a significant role. Financial maturity results to positive influence the ability to select the best alternative and employed people perform better than non-working respondents

The relationship between everyday practices and financial literacy. an empirical analysis

The global financial crisis has drawn the attention of both scholars and supervisors to the issue of financial education as an instrument for the development of efficient markets. The aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis that financial experience, gained with the daily use of different products and services, has a relevant effect on the acquisition of financial capabilities. Data are drawn by the 2008 Bank of Italy Survey on Household Income and Wealth, collecting a wide set of information on respondents and including 9 multiple-choice quizzes to measure financial literacy. A regression model was performed to assess the impact on financial literacy of four different groups of variables: socio-demographic features; income, consumption and household wealth; formal education and the experience resulting from the active participation in the capital market through the holding of financial assets and the use of specific products. The contribution of each group of regressors was measured with the Bonferroni index. Our results are consistent with previous literature, confirming a higher level of financial literacy for middle-aged adults, men, white collars, teachers, officials and managers, increasing with the years of schooling, household income and wealth. As for the financial experience, the Bonferroni index provided a strong evidence of its crucial role in explaining financial literacy, also with respect to a model already accounting for general education. This finding suggests to policymakers the adoption of incentives on the use of financial instruments or wealth accumulation, other than on educational programs