In her recent research on buy now, pay later, Consumer Reports Senior Policy Counsel Jennifer Chien was surprised by the wide variety of installment plan lengths and fees in the rapidly evolving market.
“I came out of the research thinking the market is more complex and muddier than when I went into it,” said Chien, a lawyer by training who is focused on financial fairness for Consumer Reports.
That takeaway, she said during an interview last week, suggests the market warrants more attention from researchers and regulators.
