The Poverty Busines

How are these companies who profit from low-wage earners exacerbating the opportunity divide?

These companies are essentially preying on these individuals, by flashing them offers they cannot turn down. These companies know that low income wage workers are in need of more income. So, when they offer credit cards at low or no interest rates to start these targeted individuals they know they will take advantage. The low income wage worker has an entirely new bill, one more than they had before. And when they don't pay on their credit card bill, the bill and the interest bill, the bill and the interest rate goes up. And then they are further stuck in debt. Same thing goes for the housing market. Those companies targeted individuals who were looking for a deal to buy a home. What most of those people weren't told was that they didn't have a fixed interest rate making mortgage payments sky rocket. Many of these individuals lost their homes due to not being able to pay this high mortgage, keeping them further in debt.

Who holds responsibility for alleviating this issue…corporations, government, or individuals etc. - and what resources need to be in place for people to access?

I believe that corporation, the government, and individuals are responsible for all even that the government needs to monitor what these big corporations are doing. If the government could regulate the interest rate more, helping low income individuals, it these issues. But individuals need to make sure before they sign contrails to really read the fine print. Especially when it comes to your credit, making sure that interest rates are low and fixed will benefit them more; because they will be able to money manage much better.