High-Interest Loans Tempt Families Waiting for NFL Settlement Checks
If you Google the words “concussion” “settlement” and “loan,” you’ll find ads. Lots of them. And they’re all variations on a theme: The NFL has agreed to pay former players up to $1 billion. No one knows when the payments will begin. And former players are struggling, sick, bankrupt. They need money. Now. Then comes the hook. Or rather, the promise: “We can solve this problem for you,” the ads promise former players. “It’s not a loan. It’s an advance on the money you’re due. And if the settlement doesn’t go through or if your claim is denied, you don’t have to pay back that advance.” The small print may mention that if you get the money, you’ll repay that alleged non-loan and interest of 40 percent…or more. The former NFL players being offered these deals are especially …
