| Risk-based pricing The myth that “non-prime” and “sub-prime” loans are harmful to service members’ financial readiness is just that-a myth. Responsible, risk-based pricing of loans allows those who have other than pristine credit, or no credit history at all, access to needed funds. In order to better understand risk-based pricing, one only needs to look at the way car insurance is priced, as it is very similar to sub-prime lending. The higher the risk attributed to lack of experience or the probability of a claim/default, the higher the insurance premium or loan cost.
According to one CRL study, active-duty military personnel are three times more likely than civilians to use a payday lender, and one in five used the service last year. The study also notes that this costs military families more than $80 million a year in fees. While the rates may be higher for non-prime and sub-prime risk customers, they can find responsible alternatives for insurance and loans. Access to insurance or loan products provides military families an opportunity to build a robust track record typically reflected in credit scores, credit history, or driving records. In a service member’s case, this ability to improve credit scores and build a better credit profile can help improve financial readiness, not detract from it. Furthermore, service members should note that higher rates or costs are not necessarily indicative of “predatory lending.” The term “predatory” refers more to poor practices than to specific industries, companies or products. —————— MilitaryConnection.com thanks you for your patronage. This web site is a portal of all things military, and we are quickly becoming the “go to” web site for all things military. We are constantly adding resources, content and features to benefit our audience. Our web site and all of the resources are free to users, and there is something for everyone. Additionally, we feature finance articles like this to keep you informed. If you belong to a group or organization, we will post your press releases, special events, newsletters, professional conferences and seminars, reunions, job fairs, and videos to help spread the word. One of the areas of our focus is connecting candidates from the military community with outstanding government and civilian employers. We know that candidates from the military community across the board have a work ethic second to none. They make highly valued employees. MilitaryConnection.com has a multitude of employment resources including a Directory of over 30,000 employers, Job Tips, Columns, our new and improved Job Board, Virtual Job Fair and much more. We understand the importance of education. Please check out our new Education section, featuring the most up to date information on the new GI Bill, Education Articles, Education Benefits, and the Scholarship Directory featuring thousands of scholarships. When the next tour is back home, it’s on MilitaryConnection.com. |