loan sharks
High-interest criminals
Loan sharks are unlicensed moneylenders who charge exorbitant interest rates and often use intimidation or violence to collect debts.
They typically operate outside the law, targeting people who can't get conventional bank loans: He borrowed from loan sharks and ended up owing three times the original amount.
The term evokes predatory lending—circling vulnerable prey.
Extortionate money lending
- predatoryExploiting the vulnerable
- extortionateUnreasonably high in cost
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
- vigGambling commission fee
juice · gouge · exploitative · unscrupulous · cutthroat · compounding · fees · trap
One providing loans
- borrowerOne who takes temporarily
- debtorOne who owes
- interestAttention, stake, or fee
- repaymentGiving back what's owed
collateral · default · unsecured · high-risk · overdue · cashflow · payday · principal
Forbidden by statute
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- underworldRealm of the departed
- mobsterOrganized crime member
- enforcerOne who ensures compliance
threats · coercion · intimidation · violence · extortion · racketeering · organized crime · black market
usury
Extortionate money lending
- predatoryExploiting the vulnerable
- extortionateUnreasonably high in cost
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
vig · juice · gouge · exploitative · unscrupulous · cutthroat · compounding · fees · trap · vulnerable
moneylender
One providing loans
repayment · collateral · default · unsecured · high-risk · overdue · cashflow · payday · principal · installment
illegal
Forbidden by statute
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- underworldRealm of the departed
- mobsterOrganized crime member
enforcer · threats · coercion · intimidation · violence · extortion · racketeering · organized crime · black market · syndicate
- loanslend, borrow, borrower, microloan, mortgages
- lendingborrower, approval, lenders, lending, credit
- creditorslenders, moneylenders, banks, credit unions, bondholders
- financial biasredlining, credit denial, fair lending, interest rates, approval rates
- lenderslenders, banks, mortgage lenders, commercial banks, savings banks
- predatory lendingusury, predatory lending, subprime mortgages, high interest rates, debt traps
loan sharkscredit unions
Member-owned financial cooperatives
building societies · banks · commercial banks · mortgage lenders · community banks
loan sharksphilanthropists
Generous supporters of good causes
charitable foundations · benefactors · microlenders · donors
loan sharksmutual aid societies
Groups pooling resources collectively
loan, shark, sharks, lender, loaned, loans, loaning, sharked, sharking