From modest origins in the l950s as a convenient way for the relatively well-to-do to settle restaurant and department store purchases without carrying cash, credit cards have become a ubiquitous financial product held by households in all economic strata. Since the late 1960s, much federal legislation has been enacted to ensure that consumers have the protections and information they need to use this widely available form of open-end credit wisely. Nevertheless, concerns persist about whether consumers fully understand the costs and implications of using credit cards and whether credit cards have encouraged widespread overindebtedness. Drawing on information from commercial banks, credit reporting agencies, and surveys of consumers, this article explores these issues as well as changes over the past three decades in consumer impressions of their card-using experiences and of conditions in the marketplace.
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