Consumer credit - shohishakinyuu (English spelling) consumer credit

Credit extended to consumers is called consumer credit, and within that, small amount, unsecured, short-term monetary loans are called consumer finance. Consumer credit other than consumer finance is loans for purchasing goods and services, and is called sales credit. In 2006, the total amount of consumer credit extended was about 76 trillion yen, of which sales credit was about 45 trillion yen and consumer finance was about 31 trillion yen, of which the amount extended by specialized consumer finance companies was about 9 trillion yen.

Those who operate consumer finance as a business, i.e., moneylenders, are required to register under the Money Lending Business Act (formerly the Money Lending Business Regulation Act, amended in 2006); those who operate a money lending business at illegally high interest rates without registering are known as "underground lenders." Consumer finance developed in the 1990s, with the spread of automated contract machines and the lifting of the ban on television advertising, which led to an increase in social recognition as well as convenience. Recently, there has been a noticeable entry of other private financial institutions, such as banks, into the industry, aiming for its high profitability, and there have been business alliances with consumer finance specialists, joint establishment of subsidiaries, capital alliances, and acquisitions by banks.

Consumer finance has often become a social problem due to high interest rates, excessive lending, and harsh collection practices. In order to provide relief to those with multiple debts who end up in debt by repeatedly borrowing to repay their debts and to ensure the healthy development of the consumer finance industry, the revised Money Lending Business Act was enacted and promulgated in December 2006. The revised law abolishes the lending interest rates between the upper limit of the "Investment Act" and the upper limit of the "Interest Rate Restriction Act" (gray zone interest rates) and unifies them with the upper limit of the "Interest Rate Restriction Act" at 20%. In addition, quantitative restrictions were introduced, so that the total amount of loans must not exceed one-third of the borrower's annual income. Furthermore, qualification requirements such as the financial foundation requirements for money lenders were strengthened. Recently, in response to these tightening regulations, industry restructuring has occurred, such as a decrease in the number of small and medium-sized registered lenders and business and capital alliances between major consumer finance companies and bank groups.

[Fumihiko Hiruma]

"Consumer Finance" by Yajima Yasuo (1978, Nihon Keizai Hyoronsha)" ▽ "The Reality and Outlook of Personal Loans" by Ueda Shozo (1981, Toyo Keizai Shinposha)" ▽ "Non-Banks" by Adachi Tetsuo (1997, Toyo Keizai Shinposha)" ▽ "The Theory of the Consumer Finance System" by Ito Shinichi (2000, Koyo Shobo)" ▽ "77 Simple Questions About Consumer Finance" (2000), edited and published by the Japan Consumer Finance Association " ▽ "A Study of the Consumer Finance Market - Considerations Regarding Entry and Exit in a Competitive Market" by Doshita Hiroshi (2005, Bunshindo) " ▽ "New Developments in Consumer Finance - What the Consumer Finance Market Should Be" edited by Ito Shinichi (2007, Koyo Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

消費者向けの信用供与は消費者信用とよばれるが、そのうち、小額、無担保の短期の金銭融資業務を消費者金融という。消費者金融以外の消費者信用は、商品・サービスの購入資金貸付であり、販売信用とよばれる。2006年（平成18）の消費者信用供与額は約76兆円、販売信用が約45兆円であり、消費者金融は約31兆円であり、そのうち消費者金融専門会社による供与額は約9兆円となっている。

　消費者金融を業として行う者、すなわち貸金業者は、「貸金業法」（旧、貸金業規制法を2006年に改正）にしたがって登録が必要で、登録せずに不正に高金利で貸金業を営む場合は「闇(やみ)金融」とよばれる。消費者金融は1990年代に、自動契約機の普及やテレビ広告の解禁もあり、その利便性とともに社会的認知度も高まり、発展してきた。最近では、その高収益性をねらって、銀行など他の民間金融機関の参入が目だち、消費者金融専門業者との業務提携や、子会社の共同設立、さらには資本提携や銀行による吸収統合なども行われている。

　消費者金融は、従来から高金利、過剰融資および過酷な取立てなどしばしば社会問題化し、返済のために借入れを重ねて債務過多に陥る多重債務者の救済と消費者金融業界の健全な発展を実現するために、2006年12月に、改正貸金業法が成立、公布された。改正法では、「出資法」の上限金利と「利息制限法」の上限金利の間の貸出金利（グレーゾーン金利）が廃止され、「利息制限法」の上限金利である20％に統一される予定である。また、原則として融資総額が利用者の年収の3分の1を超えてはならないという数量規制も導入された。さらに貸金業者の財産的基礎要件などの資格要件も強化された。最近では、こうした規制強化を受けて、中小規模の登録貸金融業者数の減少や、大手消費者金融会社と銀行グループとの業務・資本提携など、業界再編が生じている。

［晝間文彦］

『矢島保男著『消費者金融』（1978・日本経済評論社）』▽『上田昭三著『個人ローンの実態と展望』（1981・東洋経済新報社）』▽『阿達哲雄著『ノンバンク』（1997・東洋経済新報社）』▽『伊東眞一著『消費者金融システム論』（2000・晃洋書房）』▽『日本消費者金融協会編・刊『消費者金融素朴な質問77』（2000）』▽『堂下浩著『消費者金融市場の研究――競争市場下での参入と撤退に関する考察』（2005・文眞堂）』▽『伊東眞一編著『消費者金融の新展開――消費者金融市場のあるべき姿』（2007・晃洋書房）』

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