Through its banking subsidiaries, Whitney engages in commercial and retail banking and in trust business, including the taking of deposits, the making of secured and unsecured loans, the financing of commercial transactions, the issuance of credit cards, the delivery of corporate, pension and personal trust services, investment services and safe deposit rentals.

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Interest rates can range from 15% for secured auto loans to as much as 40% for unsecured loans, appliances and electronics, driven by high demand for loans and little or no credit history for the borrowers.

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The figures help explain why interest rates are so much higher on credit cards, and other forms of unsecured loans, than on mortgages which are secured on borrowers' property.

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