Bifalgorithm post · IntroductionToBusiness OP 8D04gAa · 2026-10-07-36573 · Working the Net
Should you seek out subprime auto loans when the fees may be unjustified?
Should you seek out subprime auto loans when the fees may be unjustified? (IntroductionToBusiness OP 8D04gAa · 2026-10-07-36573 · Working the Net) — "Ethics Ac…
Ideas in this flowchart
- Ethical dilemma of subprime auto-loan lending
- You are a loan officer at a financial company specializing in auto loans.
- A senior vice president sets higher loan quotas and suggests seeking more subprime borrowers.
- The company justifies higher interest rates, fees, and servicing costs by citing greater loan risk.
- Higher-risk loans would produce larger commissions for you and your team.
- Subprime borrowers often have low incomes and poor or limited credit histories, and many are minorities.
- You are concerned that the company’s tactics could constitute predatory lending or reverse redlining.
- You suspect that the loan costs reflect how much profit can be extracted from borrowers rather than their actual risk.
- Ethical question: Should you seek subprime loans while charging fees you believe may not be fully justified?
- The assignment requires researching subprime auto loans and supporting responses with cited sources.
- Articles and sources for evaluating the dilemma
- Adam Tempkin, “Deep” Subprime Car Loans Hit Crisis-Era Milestone, Bloomberg Markets, August 15, 2017.
- Shannara Johnson, “Subprime Auto Loans Up, Car Sales Down: Why This Could Be Good for Gold,” Forbes, July 13, 2017.
- Mark Huffman, “Santander Settles Subprime Auto Loan Suit with Massachusetts,” Consumer Affairs, March 31, 2017.
- Michael Corkery and Jessica Silver-Greenberg, “Prosecutors Scrutinize Minority Borrowers’ Auto Loans,” The New York Times, March 30.
- Seek out subprime loans despite concerns about the fees.
- Do not seek them, or challenge the company’s pricing and lending practices.
