Handbook of Consumer Finance Research-Jing Jian Xiao,Springer2008
Jing Jian Xiao, Ph.D.
University of Rhode Island
Transition Center
2 Lower College Rd.
Kingston RI 02881
USA
jfei.editor@gmail.com
pdf440页，英文版，消费者金融方面不错的专业书！

preface:
For several reasons, American consumers are now facing many financial challenges.
First, the social security system will likely be insolvent within the next 40 years.
Second, private industries are moving from defined benefit pensions to defined
contribution retirement plans. These trends require individual consumers to take
more responsibility for their financial future. Another factor is the rising cost of
higher education that many consumers now have to consider when planning their
children’s college education. In addition, easily accessible credit has pushed many
consumers deep into debt, leading to record high individual bankruptcy filings,
increased demand for credit counseling, and increased numbers of debt consolidations.
These growing social issues recently prompted government and private
organizations to sponsor joint efforts of financial education and research. Out of
these developments grows the need for a book to summarize research findings and
point out future directions. Handbook of Consumer Finance Research answers this
call by addressing these social issues as well as directly helping consumer finance
researchers, policy makers, educators, and practitioners to design, implement, and
evaluate financial education and research initiatives.
Active, multidisciplinary researchers in consumer finance have contributed the
chapters that provide a comprehensive overview of the current research. All chapters
have received blind reviews by peers who are qualified researchers, some of whom
are also chapter contributors. In each chapter, the author first critically reviews the
research publications on the focused topic, then assesses the status of the research,
and provides directions for future research. The authors were asked to search literature
in multiple fields for the latest research in consumer finance, compile the findings,
and present it in a manner accessible to people who are not specially trained in
the field. In several chapters, the authors also present their original research.
The handbook is divided into four parts consisting of 25 chapters. Part I has
six chapters that review research on basic concepts and theories in consumer finance
such as risk tolerance, financial wellness, retirement savings, financial education,
behavior theory application, and consumer economic socialization. Part II
reviews consumer finance research in the Internet setting including e-banking, online
insurance, and online shopping. The nine chapters in Part III describe consumer
financial issues among special populations such as high school students, college students,
older consumers, low-income consumers, family business owners, individual
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vi Preface
investors, and racial and ethnic minority consumers (Hispanic, African, and Asian
Americans). Part IV discusses consumer financial issues on special topics such
as healthcare, marriage, family communication, bankruptcy, workplace, regulation,
and applied research.
The first of its kind to provide a comprehensive picture of consumer finance
research, this book lays the foundation on which to develop more quality research
in consumer finance. It helps to generate helpful information for financial educators,
researchers, and policy makers to improve consumer financial well-being and
quality of life. In addition, most contributors are professors who teach consumer
finance and related courses at the university level making the material accessible to
graduate and undergraduate students as well as professionals. Overall, it enriches the
literature of consumer science, economics, finance, business, family studies, human
development, and related fields.
Jing Jian Xiao
University of Rhode Island
Rhode Island, United States
August 2007