Profits Are the Reason for Fees, Not Risk or Costs

New York Times 
April 29, 2012
Wu, Chi Chi

Consumer advocates have been warning American consumers to avoid check cashers and payday lenders by placing their money in a bank. However, they are changing their tune as some banks have become just as bad. While overdraft fees have been a problem for a while, now some banks are also making account advances, which are very similar to payday loans. The short-term loans often come with triple-digit annual percentage rates and the ability for the bank to repay itself by taking money out of the consumers' bank account. The trend of banks offering such short-term loans is spreading, leaving vulnerable members of society such as working families and the elderly to pay the price. While the banks claim the fees are due to the risk they must take to lend to consumers with poor or no credit, the loans are incredibly profitable, allowing banks to reap billions in profits every year.
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