ShareThisTAKING AIM AT DEBTMilitary personnel can be particularly vulnerable to predatory lending, a form of "financial quicksand" with excessive fees, constant rollovers and annual interest rates that can hit 300 percent to 400 percent, according to a 2006 study by the Center for Responsible Lending. Among the findings:-- Predatory lending undermines military readiness and harms morale of troops and their families by trapping them in a cycle of debt.-- Military recruits are especially susceptible because they're younger and less experienced in money management.-- Active-duty military personnel in 2005 were three times more likely than civilians to take out a so-called payday loan.-- Payday lenders often target military bases, clustering offices near the front gates.-- In 2005, the cost of abusive payday lending fees to active-duty military was estimated at more than $80 million a year.-- To reduce that impact, Congress last October capped the annual percentage rate at 36 percent for three types of loans to military members: payday loans, tax-refund anticipation loans and vehicle title loans.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
How financial problems affect the military
Submitted by SHNS on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 14:37
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