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Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 26 12, 9:34 pm
by ghostrunner
Hungary Jack wrote:It sounds like a recipe for the Weimar Republic.
HungaryBeck, is it?

Sorry, but I think that's his favorite historical touchstone.

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 4:02 pm
by Freed Roger
Are there Usury Laws? Am looking at a client's credit card stmt - 28.99%* interest rate. Back in the day when I did a pawn shop's books/taxes they were limited on rates they could charge on pawns, but I guess US Bank is exempt. (perhaps its because they don't have collateral on cc debts).

Needless to say, people are in deep doo-doo when they are paying interest at this rate, and never touching the principal bal. This trend with consumer debt (in the above case it's being used for busn ) how long can it keep going?


*I picture some guy at US Bank getting a cheap laugh by having it 0.01% below the next round #.

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 4:11 pm
by Arthur Dent
Freed Roger wrote:Are there Usury Laws? Am looking at a client's credit card stmt - 28.99%* interest rate.
The elimination of usury laws in South Dakota are actually how the boom in credit cards got started. The always excellent Frontline with the story:

Secret History of the Credit Card

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 4:22 pm
by Michael

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 4:31 pm
by slide_into_first
Blackwater takes over DC, check

Jerry Brown declares California a socialist republic, check

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 4:36 pm
by AWvsCBsteeeerike3
What's the world coming to when you can't even run a decent loan shark business anymore.

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 5:07 pm
by G. Keenan
Freed Roger wrote:Are there Usury Laws? Am looking at a client's credit card stmt - 28.99%* interest rate. Back in the day when I did a pawn shop's books/taxes they were limited on rates they could charge on pawns, but I guess US Bank is exempt. (perhaps its because they don't have collateral on cc debts).

Needless to say, people are in deep doo-doo when they are paying interest at this rate, and never touching the principal bal. This trend with consumer debt (in the above case it's being used for busn ) how long can it keep going?


*I picture some guy at US Bank getting a cheap laugh by having it 0.01% below the next round #.
I think my credit card interest rate is something like that. I had the card through Washington Mutual and that rate was very low. Eventually Chase acquired Washington Mutual and the rate went up to some absurd level. I keep using it because I pay off my balance every month but I should try to get that down because one little slip up and I'm screwed at that rate.

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 5:08 pm
by lukethedrifter
G. Keenan wrote:
Freed Roger wrote:Are there Usury Laws? Am looking at a client's credit card stmt - 28.99%* interest rate. Back in the day when I did a pawn shop's books/taxes they were limited on rates they could charge on pawns, but I guess US Bank is exempt. (perhaps its because they don't have collateral on cc debts).

Needless to say, people are in deep doo-doo when they are paying interest at this rate, and never touching the principal bal. This trend with consumer debt (in the above case it's being used for busn ) how long can it keep going?


*I picture some guy at US Bank getting a cheap laugh by having it 0.01% below the next round #.
I think my credit card interest rate is something like that. I had the card through Washington Mutual and that rate was very low. Eventually Chase acquired Washington Mutual and the rate went up to some absurd level. I keep using it because I pay off my balance every month but I should try to get that down because one little slip up and I'm screwed at that rate.
I believe the deal was if you were late on more than one payment you got the usury rate.

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: January 31 12, 5:11 pm
by G. Keenan
lukethedrifter wrote:
G. Keenan wrote:
Freed Roger wrote:Are there Usury Laws? Am looking at a client's credit card stmt - 28.99%* interest rate. Back in the day when I did a pawn shop's books/taxes they were limited on rates they could charge on pawns, but I guess US Bank is exempt. (perhaps its because they don't have collateral on cc debts).

Needless to say, people are in deep doo-doo when they are paying interest at this rate, and never touching the principal bal. This trend with consumer debt (in the above case it's being used for busn ) how long can it keep going?


*I picture some guy at US Bank getting a cheap laugh by having it 0.01% below the next round #.
I think my credit card interest rate is something like that. I had the card through Washington Mutual and that rate was very low. Eventually Chase acquired Washington Mutual and the rate went up to some absurd level. I keep using it because I pay off my balance every month but I should try to get that down because one little slip up and I'm screwed at that rate.
I believe the deal was if you were late on more than one payment you got the usury rate.
I just checked and it's 20.99%. That's absurd. My credit score is good. I was late on a payment like once 4 years ago. I guess that's what kicked the rate up to where it is now.

Re: Our financial system is crumbling this week.

Posted: February 1 12, 5:18 pm
by planet planet