中高齡易失業族群代表臺灣經濟體系當中,經濟機會最少的一群人。當45歲以上失業率增加、45∼65歲男性勞動參與率降低(潛在失業提高),這些人存在資金需求,但不容易從正規金融管道貸得所需資金時,便容易轉向地下錢莊——反映在下一期重利罪犯罪發生率增加。 1999年中,政府開放銀行發行現金卡,提供民眾便捷的小額信用借貸管道,有效減緩中高齡易失業族群對地下錢莊的倚賴。2005年「卡奴」風暴發生之後,政府政策緊縮消費金融放款,銀行面對相同利率上限(年利率20%),卻要承擔更大壞帳風險,致使銀行全面緊縮雙卡(現金卡和信用卡)業務,重利罪犯罪發生率旋即突升。 除此之外,同時觀察「雙卡債務餘額」與「家戶利息支出」年趨勢,顯示在現金卡問世以後,人們可能選用利率較低的借貸工具(現金卡)取代利率較高的借貸工具(民間合會、當舖……等等)。
The middle-aged and aged people susceptible to losing jobs constituted a class of people with the least economic opportunities. As the unemployment rate of these people rose, their need for borrowing also soared. However, with insufficient financing means through formal finance, underground finance prospered and the number of offense of usury also increases. The cash card, first introduced in mid 1990, significantly contributed to diminish the reliance on underground finance. However, after the “card slave” storm, most banks were exposed to greater bad debt risk while the ceiling of interest rate remained the same (20%). Suffered banks started to shrink their cash card and credit card business, and a soaring number of usury offenses resulted. Besides, as can be observed from statistics of consumer credit loan debt and average family interest expenditure per household per year, people seem to prefer cash card and credit card to traditional financing tools, such as pawnshops and rotating savings and credit associations.