Military personnel gain substantial status in our world, elevating them above the general public. It is not unusual, though, for the military personnel who fight to protect us are taken advantage of unfairly by the very people they swear to protect.

One way our military personnel are hurt by the public is through payday loans. It is assumed that if a person is in the military, they must have very secure futures. There are many who attribute that sort of career to a higher level of income than is usually gained. Like any other career, military personnel must work their way up in the services to obtain a higher level of income. The lower level personnel often must struggle to provide for their families just like the rest of the general public, the blue collar workers, and middle to low income bearers.

Payday loans hurt our military personnel in one way because the lower level income personnel are often young people who have not yet gained the experience needed to watch out for the sharks in the financial world. These sharks make it convenient by setting up shop near the bases for easy access. The temptation is right there, taunting the young soldiers who worry about their survival and their futures just like most of the rest of the world.

These businesses hire former military personnel to work in their stores, using the association as a selfish benefit to themselves to mislead the customers. The belief is that if military personnel work there, it must be a safe place to do business. The hidden dangers are only seen after the bait has snared the fish.

The payday loan businesses that target our military are cunning, using military wording in their business names to further entice the naïve souls who frequent their stores, desperate for help. The vicious cycle these fast cash loans create cause our military to suffer more-so than the rest of us. They are set apart not only by their status of the job they perform, but also by the punishment they must endure when they are blind-sided by the stark reality of the dishonest business practices. Facing transfers, dishonorable discharges, confinement, court martial, and loss of security clearance are some of the ways they can suffer. They also face embarrassment and frustration of letting down the ones they love and the ones they serve with. Their pride is injured, their jobs are left hanging in the balance, their futures are threatened in more ways than one. A military man who has fallen in the eyes of the public is seen as a disgrace.

There are some fast cash payday loan businesses that will not accept applications from active duty military personnel or their spouses. But the harsh reality may not be that they are acting on a conscience, but on the fear of not getting the profit and the loan repaid should the soldier’s life be threatened or declared missing-in-action during his term of service. Is it fair to target our military personnel who put their lives on the line for us? Is it fair to tempt the people who are there to watch over us and protect us?