Implications of the Supply-Side Revolution in Consumer Lending

Profound changes have taken place in consumer finance over the past twenty-five years. The availability of credit has expanded considerably, while the aggregate use of consumer and mortgage credit also continues to increase. But the downside of wider availability and use of consumer credit appears to be the related trend of dramatically higher rates of personal bankruptcy and credit losses to lenders. How concerned should analysts be about the changes in the credit environment? The authors argue that these consumer finance trends can be properly interpreted as a supply-side revolution in the provision of consumer credit. Five elements of this revolution are outlined. The implication is that higher bankruptcy rates and credit losses are likely to be a part of the landscape for the foreseeable future