NYT: Title Pawns Charge 500 Percent Interest, Buy $17.5M Private Jets

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

They call it vampire capitalism: corporate loan sharks preying on the poor and having them thrown in jail when they can’t pay interest rates often in excess of one thousand percent. The newest and most distasteful face of vampire capitalism is the title pawn provider. Although TTAC has discussed the issue in the past, I’m embarrassed to note that we’ve failed to be as aggressive as we could be in discussing the evils of the title pawn business, in part because this site was previously affiliated with a contributor who had strong ties to that industry.

Not to worry, I suppose; what we were unwilling to do, the New York Times has ably accomplished.

“They are everywhere, like liquor stores” a customer-slash-victim of title pawns tells the Times, and if you, like me, live nearly six miles away from the nearest liquor store, you know what that means. Thousands of title pawn agencies have opened across the country. The shamelessness of the industry will amaze you; like payday loan providers, title pawns use the law to persecute the debtors drawn in by deceptive advertising and math that they are often simply unable to understand.

As with payday loans, the title pawns can afford to outspend consumer advocates in the Kumite of state-by-state lobbying expenditures, meaning that it may be years or even decades before their practices are curbed in any meaningful way. While we’re often accused of being excessively libertarian here at TTAC, there are some aspects of unfettered capitalism that are enough to make even us throw down our copy of Atlas Shrugged long enough to call for a bit of socialist oversight. Until that oversight arrives, the party will continue for the title pawn providers, one of which has managed to acquire a corporate jet. Is it really possible to recycle 1994 Oldsmobiles into Gulfstreams? Apparently it’s possible for the vampires.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Mmmach1 Mmmach1 on Jan 01, 2015

    There is a difference between being screwed over and wallowing in something that happening that maybe you didn't like. Your phone bill was high? Your cable bill had an extra charge? Had to pay a doc fee on a car? LOL that's nothing. I think your the kind of person that goes looking for little problems to complain about. I didn't say life was ever easy for me. I had to work hard but that's part of living. Have a nice evening.

    • See 3 previous
    • Mmmach1 Mmmach1 on Jan 02, 2015

      @Lie2me LOL Lie2me typical Liberal phony. House one 9th fairway, previous pool and lakefront property, several antique Cadillacs (must be old fart) but disses the rich. Runs down Fox News but owns no TV. How do you watch MSNBC?? Probably has stock from this title pawn operation or one like it in his portfolio. Lie2me,looking out for the little people. Ya right!

  • JimC2 JimC2 on Jan 02, 2015

    Ladies, ladies! Why can't we all just get along?

    • Mmmach1 Mmmach1 on Jan 02, 2015

      Uh oh, don't bring Rodney King into this! You'll set him off again :)

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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