Predatory Lending Divestment Note for Advantage
Predatory Lending Divestment Note for Advantage SRI Advantage Capital Strategies identifies industries that have detrimental environmental, social, and economic effects and takes action to mitigate risk both through screening and advocating for change. The Predatory Lending Industry Explained Predatory lending refers to payday lenders, pawnbrokers, rent-to-own stores, subprime mortgage and auto loan providers, and cheque cashers.1 These types of loans can be acquired by almost anyone regardless of financial background, but they come with exorbitantly high interest rates and other fees. Payday loans are not provided by financial institutions such as banks, which are regulated by the federal government, but rather by providers who are regulated provincially. Many provinces do not have restrictions on payday loans, although recently there have been some provincial efforts to better control the industry. Advantage Canada SRI does not invest in companies engaged in predatory lending because of the negative social effects of this industry. There are currently no predatory lending companies on the S&P 500. The Economic Rationale for Divestment Predatory lenders are subject to provincial regulation, but they are not currently subject to the same federal regulations as financial institutions such as banks. The operation of predatory lenders is a contentious issue, as they often provide necessary financial services to those who could otherwise not access them, but charge extremely high interest rates while doing so. Recently there has been a push from certain organizations for provinces to impose stricter regulations on payday loan providers. For example, Alberta recently implemented strict regulations on the interest rates predatory lenders can charge, a change that has severely crippled the industry in that province.2 The possibility of further provincial or federal regulation on predatory lenders represents an economic risk for these companies and therefore for investors.
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