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Introduction: Fair Price and Sufficient Profit

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Taming the Fringe

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Finance ((PSHF))

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Abstract

Taming the Fringe analyses the regulation and evolution of two credit products that were, and remain, vital to the working poor. Policymakers have struggled with pawnbroking and moneylending because they raise broader issues pertaining to poverty, capitalism and financial regulation. The values of easily accessible credit and financial independence compete with society’s desire to protect people from predatory loans. Policymakers have pondered whether regulation can lower costs without reducing access for those most in need of small cash loans. Can government policy protect borrowers while also providing sufficient profit for lenders? The many attempts at doing so reveal the difficulty of safeguarding the needs of people who have experienced financial trouble before seeking a loan.

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  1. Economics, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA

    Craig McMahon

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  1. Craig McMahon
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Correspondence to Craig McMahon .

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McMahon, C. (2021). Introduction: Fair Price and Sufficient Profit. In: Taming the Fringe. Palgrave Studies in the History of Finance. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70615-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70615-9_1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-70614-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-70615-9

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

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