News

Friday Interview: New Rules More About Control Than Protection

RALEIGH — Regulators in Washington, D.C., believe the federal government needs to play an active role in protecting American consumers’ finances. Adam Smith believes the regulators’ efforts lead to negative unintended consequences. Smith, assistant professor of economics and director of the Center for Free Market Studies at Johnson & Wales University, recently shared his concerns during a conversation with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio.

CJ Staff
News

VIDEO: Federal Finance Bureau Treats Consumers Like Children

RALEIGH — American consumers are no better than children when it comes to making financial decisions. That attitude appears to motivate much of the work of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to a Johnson & Wales University economist. Adam Smith, assistant professor of economics and director of the Center for Free Market Studies at Johnson & Wales, critiqued CFPB during a presentation Monday for the John Locke Foundation’s Shaftesbury Society.

CJ Staff
News

Friday Interview: Consumer Loan Industry Explored

RALEIGH — If you’ve heard much media coverage about the consumer loan industry, chances are good that the coverage has been negative. Critics use the words “predatory lending” to label the industry as harmful. The N.C. House voted 61-54 this month to approve legislation lifting existing state caps on consumer loan rates. Harold Black, James F. Smith Jr. Professor of Financial Institutions at the University of Tennessee, supports lifting the caps. He discussed the consumer loan industry with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio.

CJ Staff
News

Friday Interview: Consumer-Driven Health Care

RALEIGH — Regina Herzlinger, professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School, recently discussed consumer-driven health care during a John Locke Foundation Headliner luncheon in Raleigh. Money magazine has dubbed Herzlinger the “godmother” of consumer-driven care. She discussed health-care issues with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio.

CJ Staff
Opinion

The Invisible Hand: Righty or Lefty?

What factors determine how well consumers with minority tastes and preferences are served by markets? By minority tastes, I mean a relatively small number of consumers whose preferences can only be met with special or customized products. Some lefties think this is a problem. It's not, at least not in the market, for a variety of reasons.

Dr. Karen Y. Palasek

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