<p>Joyce James is the founder of the Middleburg Institute in Saint Gabriel, Louisiana. The Institute’s mission is to raise the economic, educational and social level of families in low to moderate income communities. We met Joyce while researching predatory lenders. These lenders charge sky-high interest rates on short-term loans and they’re a financial blight on too many people living on low and unstable incomes. Joyce routinely meets with people struggling to make ends meet in small communities around Louisiana. A major topic of these conversations is how people can turn their side hustle into a viable business. Practical money talk are invaluable when it comes to helping people steer clear of financial trouble. But individual knowledge isn’t enough. Policymakers need to reform the payday lending business and the financial services industry to clean house.</p>
