December 18, 2009
NFIB Small Business Economic Trends

Owner optimism remains stuck at recession levels. The proximate cause is very weak consumer spending, better than a year ago, but that was pretty bad. Fifteen (15) percent reported gains,...

October 18, 2009
What Does the Credit Card Market Have In Common with...

The credit card industry is highly concentrated.  Ninety percent of the lending market is controlled by the top 10 issuers, yet there still appears to be fierce competition for balances...

October 15, 2009
A Review of Payment Card Economics

The proliferation of payment cards-that is, debit, credit, and prepaid cards-has dramatically changed the way we shop and merchants sell goods and services. Today, payment cards are indispensable in most...

October 15, 2009
Two-Sided Bank Card Payment Networks and Public Policy

1.  Introduction   The provision of payment-clearing services is a big business for banks and other payment intermediaries.  About $75 in U.S. payments is processed each year per $1 of...

December 11, 2008
Antitrust Enforcement During National Crises: An Unhappy History

This article is part of a Chronicle. See more from this Chronicle Daniel Crane, Dec 15, 2008 In 1940, while head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division (“DOJ”), Thurman Arnold...