It was only a few years ago that almost all of this article applied to me. I remember before the cfpb forced banks to make overdraft "protection" out-in and being charged $35 instead of the card being declined. I remember biking across town at 5in the morning to make $35/day at a day labor place then giving 2 of those dollars to a check cashing place. Unless you've been poor, you really have no idea how hard it is to get out of that position. And if you have anything on your record, you can forget about not being poor. A record is a lifetime sentence of poverty in America unless you have connections or family wealth.