Chasing fees, banks court low-income customers – products were largely untouched by recent financial regulations

Chasing fees, banks court low-income customers

New York Times
Thursday, April 26, 2012

An increasing number of the nation’s large banks — U.S. Bank, Regions Financial and Wells Fargo among them — are aggressively courting low-income customers with alternative loan products that can carry high fees.

They are rapidly expanding these offerings partly because the products were largely untouched by recent financial regulations, and also to recoup the billions in lost income from recent [...]

Litany of a disaster:

Liberal law makers tell us that everyone is entitled to live the American dream, and pass the so-called Community Redevopment Act.
The Act allows (that is, forces) lenders to lower borrowing standards.
Home prices rise as new borrows increase demand.
Rising home prices attract “investors” , as opposed to homeowners, and the demand for innovative loan products begins to rise.
Investors (aka speculators) using easy money loans drive home prices even higher
Lenders resort to [...]