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Re:Hazard pay in focus as essential workers earn less than t... by clarkevans on Thursday July 02, 2020 @11:39AM (#23714470)
Except that the loans they are making are not $2 below prevailing rates. Many of these businesses are near insolvency and are unable to get loans in the open market. These loans are huge gifts; if they were given by private equity, they would additionally come with a large equity position. When they don't, they are gifts, equivalent to the equity position that isn't taken and the high interest rate avoided.
Re:Hazard pay in focus as essential workers earn less than t... by cperciva on Thursday July 02, 2020 @11:53AM (#23714636)
Right, I suspect that the interest rate differential is higher than 2%. In some cases the businesses receiving loans are insolvent and the loans are effectively non-repayable, i.e. gifts -- but not all.

The true cost is almost certainly somewhere between 2% and 100%.