Debt consolidation...pension givebacks...Social Security under siege...bankruptcies and foreclosures...Americans' financial lives are fraught with issues, challenges, and potential threats, in record numbers. This timely and essential work surveys the social aspects of consumer behavior, offering the latest data and original research on current consumer needs as well as identifying emerging areas of research. This accessible volume (which can be read without advanced training in the field) starts with current concepts of risk tolerance, consumer socialization, and financial well-being, and moves on to salient data on specific settings and populations, including healthcare spending and retirement savings, online shopping and e-banking, family finances, and many more. Given the current climate of rising debt, the handbook is instructive reading for educators, researchers, and policymakers who wish to understand better how to help families with the economic problems of our times. It can also serve as a graduate text in economics, finance, consumer science, business, and family studies.

Autorentext

Jing Jian Xiao, Ph.D., is Professor of Consumer Economics at the University of Rhode Island. This book was developd when he was the Take Charge America Professor and Director of the Take Charge America Institute for Consumer Financial Education and Research at the University of Arizona in 2005-07. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Family and Economic Issues and also serves on editorial boards of five other academic journals in consumer economics and finance. In addition, he is the Editor-in-Chief of a new book series, International Series on Consumer Science. Dr. Xiao earned his B.S. and M.S. in economics from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China and his Ph.D. in consumer economics from Oregon State University, USA.

Klappentext

Debt consolidationpension givebacksSocial Security under siegebankruptcies and foreclosuresAmericans' financial lives are fraught with issues, challenges, and potential threats, in record numbers. The Handbook of Consumer Finance Research surveys the social aspects of consumer behavior, offering latest data and original research on current consumer needs as well as identifying emerging areas of research. This accessible volume (which can be read without advanced training in the field) starts with current concepts of risk tolerance, consumer socialization, and financial well-being, and moves on to salient data on specific settings and populations, including:

• Healthcare spending and retirement savings.

• Online shopping and e-banking.

• Family finances: marriage, parent/child communications, student spending.

• Financial concerns of special groups: minorities, seniors, the poor.

• Management issues of business-owning families.

• Consumer protection in fair lending.

Given the current climate of rising debt and negative savings, the Handbook is timely and instructive reading for educators, researchers, and policymakers who wish to develop or evaluate financial education programs, design research initiatives, and understand better how to help families with the economic problems of our times. It can also serve as a graduate text in economics, finance, consumer science, business, and family studies.

Zusammenfassung

Debt consolidation; pension givebacks; Social Security under siege; bankruptcies and foreclosures; Americans' financial lives are fraught with issues, challenges, and potential threats, in record numbers. The Handbook of Consumer Finance Research surveys the social aspects of consumer behavior, offering latest data and original research on current consumer needs as well as identifying emerging areas of research. This accessible volume (which can be read without advanced training in the field) starts with current concepts of risk tolerance, consumer socialization, and financial well-being, and moves on to salient data on specific settings and populations, including: Healthcare spending and retirement savings; Online shopping and e-banking; Family finances: marriage, parent/child communications, student spending; Financial concerns of special groups: minorities, seniors, the poor; Management issues of business-owning families; Consumer protection in fair lending.

Given the current climate of rising debt and negative savings, the Handbook is timely and instructive reading for educators, researchers, and policymakers who wish to develop or evaluate financial education programs, design research initiatives, and understand better how to help families with the economic problems of our times. It can also serve as a graduate text in economics, finance, consumer science, business, and family studies.

Inhalt
Concepts and Theories of Consumer Finance.- Risk Tolerance.- Personal Financial Wellness.- Retirement Savings.- Financial Education and Program Evaluation.- Applying Behavior Theories to Financial Behavior.- Consumer Economic Socialization.- Internet and Consumer Finance.- E-banking.- Online Insurance.- Online Shopping.- Consumer Finances of Special Populations.- Financial Literacy of High School Students.- Risky Credit Card Behavior of College Students.- Financial Issues of Older Adults.- Consumer Finances of Low-Income Families.- Management Issues of Business-Owning Families.- Gender Differences in Investment Behavior.- Financial Behavior of Hispanic Americans.- Money Matters of African Americans.- Financial Behaviors of Asian Americans.- Consumer Finance in Various Settings.- Consumer Financial Issues in Health Care.- Marriage and Finance.- Consumer Finance and Parent-Child Communication.- Consumer Bankruptcy.- Workplace Financial Education.- Regulating Consumer Lending.- Promoting Applied Research in Personal Finance.