Predatory Lending: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

I think "The Cash Fairy" is a perfect name for a loan shark's enforcer. He takes your cash and leaves your teeth on your pillow.

NPR just did a story on payday loans, and they quoted this video. Nice to see the impact you're having on the world!

"Ebola looks at that growth rate and says 'Wow that's impressive'." In 2020, Corona laughs

That Ebola joke hits different now

"It's the circle of debt.. And it screws us allllll..." This is now a million times funnier now that we know he's cast as Zazu in the Lion King remake. XD

I ended up in this when I was working minimum wage part time. I made $600. And was borrowing $200 every 2 weeks after I made a $230 payment. I was renting a room for $300 a month. I had to figure out how to survive on $70 to get to work, pay for a cell phone bill and feed myself. I ended up terminating my room contract, paying off the loan and went homeless. That was one of the worst places to be: constantly in debt and having to choose between doing laundry or eating food granted laundry wasn't an everyday thing. Luckily I could sleep in my car. So I wasn't technically homeless. Didn't have AC which sucked. I got better.

Fast forward to 2019, the director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau went before Congress not too long ago; when asked about the difference between interest rate and APR she didn't really have a clear answer. Then when given a simple scenario for a short term loan and asked to calculate the APR, she went off with some silly talking point rather than just doing the calculation (she was even offered a calculator, lol). When the person responsible for a particular section of government demonstrates a significant lack of knowledge or inclination to actually learn, the prospects for the future seem incredibly depressing.

Before using a service, always ask yourself "How do they make money from me using their service?".

You know what's sad? That the only places on TV in the US where legitimate issues are discussed is on a comedy show.

Bella isn't even on Team Bella.

Hey John I just want to say that in 2014 when this came out i was in my econ class in high school and with segment got me some extra credit. Thanks for helping me pass

5:27 is, of course, the moment that got John his role as Zazu.

Ever notice that when JO raises an issue, it comes up in newspapers a few weeks later as an issue people really need to deal with?

my parents were on this shit until i started working and helped them to get out of this shit

14:04 I would be legitimately afraid of any thug that called themselves "The Cash Fairy"

Love going through these old videos - John Oliver is a national treasure!

The amount of laughs this show generates comparative to the degree of empty, hollowed out, hopelessness it leaves me feeling is... well, its fucking impressive.

jesus not even the Mob has 1900% interest rates!

Two new phrases from this episode: “I call Dingo” and “Where one mole falls, another shall rise”

hooo, we have this guys in italy. we call them mafia