But there is always the Teamwork! A fighter teams up with trader to escort him and gets 20% of the gain or as much as the deal was.
When I was starting to make my character (Mitchell) I got a Stilleto and Freelancer ID. So I did a few worthy escorts and in 2-3 jobs earned my VHF.
But yes Missions are only to get the credits to mount some Nanos/bats and a missile/mine or two. But RP missions sure pay off. And it's true not everyone is rich.