Purpose of Finance Companies
• Most finance companies issue commercial paper and use the proceeds to make loans. • Unlike banks, finance companies are largely unregulated. States may limit the size of a loan contract to a consumer borrower, but that is about it. • Exist to service both consumers and businesses with tailored products (usually not offered by banks).
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– Regulation of Finance Companies – Finance Company Balance Sheet
History of Finance Companies
• Finance companies date back to the 1800s when retailers started offering installment credit, requiring equal payments to repay loans. Prior to this, loans were typically balloon loans. • Mass marketing of autos really developed the industry. Since banks didn’t offer car loans in the early 1990s, finance companies developed to fill the void.