Evaluating the efficacy of credit card regulation

Abstract

PurposeIn the USA, the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) has adopted a final rule amending the Truth in Lending Act's Regulation Z, effective October 1, 2001. The present study aims to use the elaboration likelihood model to explore how consumers might respond to the revised credit card disclosure requirements, focusing specifically on college students.Design/methodology/approachEach subject was randomly assigned to one of two financial scenarios and asked to choose, among competing offers, the credit card that presented the “best” match to the scenario. Subsequently, all subjects completed measures designed to test hypothesized relationships within the framework of the elaboration likelihood model.FindingsCollege students possess a fairly low level of knowledge of credit cards and thus are not very well equipped to make educated choices concerning such cards.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of a rural student sample is a limitation and future research should investigate different populations, including those in urban and international markets.Practical implicationsSince the variable APR information appears to distract consumers from taking into account other important cost information, credit card issuers should develop solicitations that aid consumers in making knowledgeable choices.Originality/valueThe present research is the first to investigate the impact of the FRB's recently adopted final rule amending the Truth in Lending Act's Regulation Z. The findings should thus be of interest to regulators, credit card issuers, and consumer advocates.