Think of money lenders, and the first name that comes to mind is that of Shylock, the Jewish money lender in Shakespeare’s popular drama, The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare’s money lender played along with the stereotype prevalent at the time that money lenders were mean and inhumane people, landing up at the most inopportune times like leeches to suck out the money of the unfortunate borrowers.
Thankfully, this stereotype has been cut down to a large extent. Perhaps part of the reason is that the moneylenders in the world of today are not individuals. Instead, they are corporations. It is a lot more difficult to associate human failings such as dislike, bitterness, and the desire for revenge, with corporations. Sure, they may be made up of a number of individuals, each of whom has a distinct failing. But despite that, the general belief is that the sheer diversity of people will keep the organization fair.
These days, everyone seeks out loans in an attempt to afford more and more things. Thanks to the explosion in the field of loans, we now have access to things that would otherwise have remained beyond our reach. Today, we can think of buying the...