Browse Credit and Lending

Predatory and Unlawful Lending

Predatory and Unlawful Lending terms for credit facilities, borrower analysis, pricing, fees, amortization, repayment, loan types, and regulation.

Predatory and Unlawful Lending terms explain loan types, credit facilities, borrower analysis, pricing, interest, fees, repayment schedules, amortization, government programs, and lending standards.

Use this branch when a loan term changes facility type, borrower obligation, cost of credit, repayment timing, eligibility, underwriting, or regulatory disclosure.

Key Terms in This Branch

TermUse it for
Loan SharkLoan type, facility, borrower analysis, pricing, APR, fee, amortization, repayment, government program, or lending-standard term.
Loan SharkingLoan type, facility, borrower analysis, pricing, APR, fee, amortization, repayment, government program, or lending-standard term.
Payday LoanLoan type, facility, borrower analysis, pricing, APR, fee, amortization, repayment, government program, or lending-standard term.
Predatory LendingLoan type, facility, borrower analysis, pricing, APR, fee, amortization, repayment, government program, or lending-standard term.
Unlawful LoanLoan type, facility, borrower analysis, pricing, APR, fee, amortization, repayment, government program, or lending-standard term.

What to Check

Check the promissory note or loan agreement, borrower eligibility, principal, rate, APR, fee schedule, maturity, amortization method, repayment term, covenant, disclosure, and underwriting file.

Common Mistakes

  • Comparing loans only by stated interest rate instead of APR, fees, term, and repayment schedule.
  • Ignoring whether credit is open-end, revolving, installment, secured, or committed.
  • Treating eligibility for a program as proof of suitability or affordability.
  • Using loan labels without checking the actual borrower obligation.

Loan terms affect cost and legal obligations; this page is educational and does not provide personalized borrowing or lending advice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Loan Shark

A loan shark is an unlicensed or abusive lender that charges excessive rates or uses coercive collection practices.

Loan Sharking

Loan sharking involves lending money at interest rates significantly higher than those allowed by law (usury).

Payday Loan

A payday loan is short-term consumer credit typically repaid from the borrower's next paycheck and often priced at high fees.

Predatory Lending

Predatory lending uses unfair, deceptive, or abusive credit practices that exploit borrower vulnerability or information gaps.

Unlawful Loan

An unlawful loan violates lending laws, licensing rules, rate limits, disclosure requirements, or other credit regulations.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026