Sunday, October 14, 2007

Military Have Special Rules Regarding Payday Loans

I am certainly not a fan of payday loans or cash advance companies. I know it is a proliferating business as in Nashville you see these companies everywhere. Maybe not in the best of neighborhoods, but literally everywhere else. They straddle almost every corner of every intersection.

I read something interesting the other day. That a law was passed in September capping the interest these companies could charge those in the military. It also legislated that these companies could not go after deployed military people in default of these loans. (My wording is not exact.)

It makes sense that the companies could not prosecute those who are deployed. They are not here. But why give them a better interest rate than everyone else? I think I read that that military people could not be charged more than 36 percent APR, whereas everyone else who uses those services are charged 385 percent APR or higher.

Why discriminate here? I think everyone should be capped at a lower rate. As I said, I am not a fan of payday loan companies. It is close to usery, if not usery. But the idea is not a bad one: Give someone a loan on their paycheck. But why does the interest have to be so outrageous? Why couldn't someone charge a more reasonable interest? I wonder if anyone would be able to start "Wal-marting" this industry? Open up a bunch of payday loans at a lower interest and make the others come down on theirs.

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