소비자정보 부족으로 인한 소비자피해를 사전에 예방하고 소비자정보제공을 강화하기 위해 소비자정보공개정책이 시행되어 원활하게 시장에 반영되고 있는 이때, 실제 소비자에게 어떠한 영향을 미치고 있으며 소비자들의 정책 이용도는 어떠한지 살펴볼 필요가 있다. 이에 따라 본 연구는 미국소비자들의 신용카드관련 소비자행동을 살펴보고, 『Truth in Lending Act』에서 규정하고 있는 소비자정보공개 의무조항에 대한 미국소비자들의 소비자평가는 어떠하며, 소비자정보공개조항이 신용카드 사용시 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 살펴봄으로써, 신용카드관련 소비자정보공개정책인 『Truth in Lending Act』의 실효성을 평가하였다. 이를 위해 미국 연방준비제도이사회(Federal Reserve Board) 주관으로 미시간대학의 Survey Research Center에서 실시한 Surveys of Consumers를 분석하였다. 미국의 리볼빙 신용카드관련 소비자행동을 분석한 결과 우리나라와는 달리 미국소비자 대부분이 리볼빙 신용카드를 소지하고 있었으며, 연령에 따라 리볼빙 신용카드 결제방식에 차이가 있었고, 컨비니언스체크 사용시 수수료부과에 대한 인지가 부족하였다. 『Truth in Lending Act』의 신용카드 정보공개조항에 소비자평가를 분석한 결과 소비자들이 소비자정보공개정책에 관심이 많고, 중요시 여겨 초기 입법목적을 어느 정도 달성하고 있다고 평가내릴 수 있었다. 그러나 소비자의 실생활에서 신용카드 사용시 『Truth in Lending Act』의 실질적인 정책 영향력은 그리 크지 않아 이를 고려한 『Truth in Lending Act』의 부분적인 개정이 요구된다. 본 연구는 한미 자유무역협정 등에 의해 자유경쟁체제가 예상되는 금융시장에서 미국의 소비자정보공개정책을 연구함으로써, 우리나라 소비자정보공개정책과 비교연구 할 수 있는 기반을 마련했다는데 큰 의의가 있다. 뿐만 아니라 금융기관의 영업 자유화를 통해 국내에 진입할 미국 금융기관의 소비자정책과 발맞추어 우리나라 금융관련 법·제도적 보호장치를 마련하고 종합적이고 체계적인 소비자정책을 시행하는데 실질적인 도움을 줄 수 있으리라 기대된다.

The 『Truth in Lending Act』(Title 1 of the 『Consumer Credit Protection Act』) vests the Federal Trade Commission with responsibility for assuring compliance by non-depository entities with a variety of statutory provisions. Specifically, the 『Truth in Lending Act』 requires all creditors who deal with consumers to make certain written disclosures concerning all finance charges and related aspects of credit transactions. The purposes of the 『Truth in Lending Act』 are to provide a meaningful disclosure of credit terms to enable consumers to compare credit terms available in the market place more readily and avoid the uninformed use of credit; and to protect consumers against inaccurate and unfair credit billing and credit card practices. This article was focused on the effectiveness of credit card information disclosure requirement under the 『Truth in Lending Act』 by testing American consumers’ credit card knowledge and use. The surveys cited in this article were undertaken for the Federal Reserve Board by the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan. The center conducted 494 interviews on credit card periodic statements in January 2005. The Federal Reserve Board sponsored the survey about the importance to consumers of various required disclosures for their credit card accounts, consumers' use of the disclosure information provided, and their new accounts and payment of fees. The Federal 『Truth in Lending Act』 requires that credit card companies provide consumers written statements of finance charges and annual percentage rates as part of the monthly statement. The respondents were asked regarding the information on annual percentage rates in the Truth in Lending part of the credit card statement had affected their decision to use credit cards in any way.

The 『Truth in Lending Act』(Title 1 of the 『Consumer Credit Protection Act』) vests the Federal Trade Commission with responsibility for assuring compliance by non-depository entities with a variety of statutory provisions. Specifically, the 『Truth in Lending Act』 requires all creditors who deal with consumers to make certain written disclosures concerning all finance charges and related aspects of credit transactions. The purposes of the 『Truth in Lending Act』 are to provide a meaningful disclosure of credit terms to enable consumers to compare credit terms available in the market place more readily and avoid the uninformed use of credit; and to protect consumers against inaccurate and unfair credit billing and credit card practices. This article was focused on the effectiveness of credit card information disclosure requirement under the 『Truth in Lending Act』 by testing American consumers’ credit card knowledge and use. The surveys cited in this article were undertaken for the Federal Reserve Board by the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan. The center conducted 494 interviews on credit card periodic statements in January 2005. The Federal Reserve Board sponsored the survey about the importance to consumers of various required disclosures for their credit card accounts, consumers' use of the disclosure information provided, and their new accounts and payment of fees. The Federal 『Truth in Lending Act』 requires that credit card companies provide consumers written statements of finance charges and annual percentage rates as part of the monthly statement. The respondents were asked regarding the information on annual percentage rates in the Truth in Lending part of the credit card statement had affected their decision to use credit cards in any way.

Consumer Information Disclosure Regulation, 『Truth in Lending Act』, Credit Card, Finance Charges, APR.