Like most financial service providers, Direct Merchant Bank has been under increasing attack during recent years. A spate of federal and state legislation of late has served to focus public consciousness on the high costs of consumer credit. Given the tight economic tenor of today, it is not surprising that consumers have taken greater notice of notoriously high credit card interest rates.The Flip SideCenturies ago, Isaac newton observed that every action begets an equal and opposite reaction. This basic reality has equal truth and applicability in both physical and fiscal realms.Believe it or not, banks are businesses. As such, they must generate sufficient revenue to absorb operating costs and yield an adequate residual profit. Achieving these objects is impossible while operating at a loss.Pause for a brief moment and mentally place yourself in bankers pecuniary shoes. Suppose your household's basic expenses totalled $2,000 each month for utilities, rent, and groceries. How long do you think you and your family would stay afloat if your income decreased to $1,000 per month?Like it or not, large commercial concerns like banks face similar dilemmas. Contrary to popular belief, bankers are not out to bleed you dry. They simply have to make ends meet like anyone else.Calculated RisksAccurate risk assessment is an indispensable part of ensuring individual and organizational fiscal fitness. Household Bank and financial subsidiary Direct Merchant Bank have a long-standing history of helping consumers in high-risk categories restore economic equilibrium.As we all know, higher risks justify correspondingly higher returns. Unbelievably, though, win-win solutions are still achievable in such scenarios.This author is a living witness to this truth. Some years ago, I could not obtain a conventional credit card due to various credit blemishes. Direct Merchant Bank was the only creditor who gave me serious consideration. After submitting a short application, I received a no-deposit Direct Merchant MasterCard in short order. Although interest and associated fees were high, they eventually proved well worthwhile.ConclusionTwo years later, I sallied forth and successfully demanded my financial birthrights from mainstream American credit grantors. My greatly-improved credit history of Direct Merchant MasterCard prompt payments made it all possible.