Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:34:07 EDT Payday Loan News http://www.pliwatch.org http://www.pliwatch.org/images/pli_newsfeed_logo.gif http://www.pliwatch.org en-us An aggregated source of payday loan and cash advance news provided by independent observer Payday Loan Industry Watch (PLIWatch.org) william@pliwatch.org http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070319A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070319A.html Mon, 19 Mar 2007 07:02:01 EDT Montgomery, Alabama - Starting later this year, payday lenders who prey on the working poor in Alabama, charging unconscionable interest rates of 450 percent or more, won't be able to do so for those Alabamians who serve in the military. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070318C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070318C.html Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:15:02 EDT Atlanta, Georgia - When the Georgia General Assembly opened for business in January, representatives of the payday lending industry walked in the Capitol's door, eager for another battle. . . . the return to Georgia was a bold move. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070318B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070318B.html Sun, 18 Mar 2007 09:25:02 EDT Phoenix, Arizona - The state's payday lenders have agreed to sharp new curbs on their practices and fees in exchange for ensuring they are not forced out of business in three years. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070318A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070318A.html Sun, 18 Mar 2007 09:12:01 EDT Concord, New Hampshire - Negative perceptions about payday loans really aggravate Megan Tracy, a 42-year-old Concord woman who lives on a month in Social Security and disability benefits. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070316B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070316B.html Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:17:02 EDT Santa Fe, New Mexico - A compromise bill to impose new regulations on the payday loan industry passed the Senate in a 37-5 vote Thursday and will now go to Gov. Bill Richardson, whose office helped broker the deal. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070316A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070316A.html Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:05:02 EDT Santa Fe, New Mexico - A compromise bill regulating payday lenders has cleared the Legislature and is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Bill Richardson so it can become law. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070315A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070315A.html Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:18:51 EDT San Francisco, California - The reforms aimed at African-American and Latino borrowers seeks to educate customers about the use of payday loans, voluntarily limits advertising and offers a once-a-year break to borrowers who don't pay back loans quickly. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070314A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_070314A.html Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:15:02 EDT Charleston, West Virginia - West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced a settlement agreement with four affiliates of the nation's largest payday lender, Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc. ('Advance America') of Spartansburg, South Carolina. The companies agreed to cease engaging in certain debt collection practices that concerned McGraw's office. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228D.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228D.html Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:40:11 EDT Austin, Texas - Ah, the value of hindsight. Had we all known in January what we know today, we could have tripled our money in pawnshop operator and payday lender EZCORP, which started the year at around a share and trades today at more than . http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228C.html Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:40:11 EDT Fort Worth, Texas - It was a year for pawnshops and payday lenders to branch out beyond their normal boundaries as their traditional lines of business came under legal and regulatory assault. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228B.html Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:40:11 EDT Austin, Texas - Last September, Congress passed a law that limits the rate of interest that can be charged on a loan to members of the U.S. military and their families to 36 percent. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061228A.html Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:25:16 EDT Cleveland, Tennessee - Cleveland, Tn.'s Allan Jones, chairman and CEO of Check Into Cash, Inc., is taking issue with the recent attack on the industry by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061227A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061227A.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:15:21 EDT Tinley Park, Illinois - It seems as though some things never change when it comes to payday lending in Illinois. As soon as Illinois enacted law that makes payday loans a more affordable solution for people who need them, the payday loan industry got greedy. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061226A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061226A.html Tue, 26 Dec 2006 15:17:41 EDT Olympia, Washington - Aaron Medres is on a mission. Four years years ago, the Chattaroy truck driver took out a $500 payday loan to cover some unexpected repairs to his car. Two weeks later, to pay back the $500 and the $75 fee, he took out another loan from a different lender. And then another. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061217A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061217A.html Sun, 17 Dec 2006 18:35:22 EDT Richmond, Virginia - Five years ago, tellers at State Employees' Credit Union in North Carolina noticed a different group of people coming in to cash checks: payday lenders with checks written by members of the Raleigh-based credit union. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061215A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061215A.html Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:18:22 EDT Great Falls, Montana - Some of Montana's poorest consumers fall victim to lending services that charge exorbitant interest rates for payday or title loans and get trapped in debt, says Attorney General Mike McGrath. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061213A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061213A.html Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:15:18 EDT Concord, New Hampshire - Payday lenders are storefront shops that give customers small, no-collateral loans for a fee and a promise to pay the money back in a week or two. They used to be a sign of a big city. High-interest lenders require a steady supply of people who live paycheck to paycheck. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061213B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061213B.html Wed, 13 Dec 2006 11:10:15 EDT Seattle, Washington - Beginning Oct. 1, 2007, no U.S. lender may charge more than 36-percent interest to a military person on active duty, or his family: a measure Congress aimed principally at protecting soldiers from payday loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061208A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061208A.html Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:13:12 EDT Washington, D.C. - Two months after Congress approved a cap on loan interest rates for service members, lawmakers are urging financial institutions to look for ways to make affordable small loans available to all consumers, not just the military community. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061206B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061206B.html Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:23:10 EDT Vancouver, Washington - Washington state Rep. Sherry Appleton expects a different outcome this legislative session when she introduces two bills that could drastically curtail profits for payday lenders. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061206A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061206A.html Wed, 06 Dec 2006 10:15:10 EDT Richmond, Virginia - A House committee yesterday killed a bill that would have banned payday lending in Virginia. But the bill's sponsor says he's going to reintroduce it for the 2007 legislative session that starts next month, where it will compete with other bills that are expected to add regulations to the industry but not ban it altogether. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061204B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061204B.html Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:17:18 EDT Hackensack, New Jersey - The Financial Service Centers of America (FiSCA) today strongly criticized a recent report, titled 'Financial Quicksand,' issued by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) which attacked the payday loan industry. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061204A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061204A.html Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:15:18 EDT Alexandria, Virginia - You may have seen commercials on television offering unsecured loans to anyone needing money. These ads tend to focus on two things: how much money you can get, and how quickly you can get it. Lost in the fine print is the important information, including the interest rate and repayment schedule for the loan. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061130A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061130A.html Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:15:51 EDT Chicago, Illinois - American Public Media's news program 'Marketplace' (heard nationally on NPR) tonight ran a segment highlighting the Center for Responsible Lending's new report about payday loans titled 'Financial Quicksand.' http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061125B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061125B.html Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:31:49 EDT Mason City, Iowa - Five days until payday can be a long time when the rent is due and you don't have enough money to pay it. For some families, payday loan businesses come to the rescue. The check doesn't bounce and the landlord's late rent fee is avoided. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061125A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061125A.html Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:19:12 EDT Sterling, Illinois - A new report is warning money-strapped Christmas shoppers not to be tempted by offers for fast cash this holiday season, or they could end up with a very unhappy New Year. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061123A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061123A.html Thu, 23 Nov 2006 08:18:10 EDT Alton, Illinois - Dan Rather's news program 'Dan Rather Reports' this week featured the hour-long program 'The Best Congress Money Can Buy.' Appearing on the HDNet network (Rather's new home), the show contained a lengthy negative segment about the payday loan industry and its lobbying activities. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061122B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061122B.html Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:44:15 EDT Mountain Home, Arkansas - An advocacy group working to reform Arkansas law on payday lending practices has alleged two Mountain Home stores offer loans larger than allowed by state law. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061122A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061122A.html Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:41:15 EDT Eugene, Oregon - The apologists for the payday and car-title lenders that exploit the poorest, most vulnerable Oregonians have long insisted there's no real problem with lenders charging more than 500 percent interest on short-term loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061121A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061121A.html Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:21:12 EDT Portland, Oregon - More than 100 Oregonians lost their cars, and 104,000 had problems repaying after borrowing money from payday and car title lenders last year, a state agency reports. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061117B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061117B.html Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:15:12 EDT Pierre, South Dakota - A coalition of military and consumer groups that persuaded Congress to impose a 36 percent interest-rate cap on payday loans to military members and their families is gearing up to fight the whole issue all over again. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061117A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061117A.html Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:12:08 EDT Berwyn, Pennsylvania - Dollar Financial Corp expanded its Florida operations by acquiring 23 financial services stores this month, predominantly located in Southwest Florida. Dollar has not released the name of the acquired locations, but said the total purchase price for the acquisition was $28.6 million. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061116A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061116A.html Thu, 16 Nov 2006 12:10:15 EDT Seattle, Washington - They're the last resort for thousands of people strapped for cash. . . . State lawmakers are working on bills to lower the rates and give consumers more protection, but the concern is over much more than just high rates. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061115C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061115C.html Wed, 15 Nov 2006 14:16:10 EDT Dayton, Ohio - Getting into debt is easy; removing oneself from debt is an uphill battle that many people will lose. One major reason for this is the position they are put in by predatory payday lenders, according to the creators of StretchPay, a new program at many Ohio credit unions that offers small loans without the compiling high interest rates of many predatory storefront lenders. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061115B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061115B.html Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:59:27 EDT Springfield, Missouri - It was about five years ago that I opened a very unusual letter. It was from a local Baptist pastor who was asking me to write a column about the payday and car title loan businesses springing up around town. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061115A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061115A.html Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:51:18 EDT Little Rock, Arkansas - Arkansas' regulator of payday lenders on Tuesday ordered a Conway businessman to pay more than $217,000 in fines and refunds to customers for operating stores without a license. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061114A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061114A.html Tue, 14 Nov 2006 12:11:52 EDT Las Vegas, Nevada - When officials at Nevada Federal Credit Union found out a quarter of its members frequented payday loan businesses when running short on cash, they decided it was time to offer an alternative. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061110A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061110A.html Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:18:31 EDT Kansas City, Missouri - A class-action lawsuit alleges that payday lender QC Financial Services Inc. of Overland Park violated Missouri law by engaging in predatory practices such as renewing loans multiple times. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061108B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061108B.html Wed, 08 Nov 2006 12:11:05 EDT Beverly Hills, California - There is a lot being said about payday loans. Many claim that the interest rates charged are outrageous. Others say that they are the only source of finance available for those with less than perfect credit score. There is a bit of truth in both claims but there is much more to payday loans than meets the eyes. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061108A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061108A.html Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:15:16 EDT Charleston, South Carolina - Jeannette Hartman of Clarksburg is a consumer who got caught up in payday lending. In her case, it was with lenders who operate on the Internet. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061104B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061104B.html Sat, 04 Nov 2006 18:09:17 EDT Gainesville, Florida - Payday loan companies, which often charge annual interest rates well into the triple digits, cluster around military bases, according to a study co-authored by University of Florida associate law professor Christopher Peterson. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061104A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061104A.html Sat, 04 Nov 2006 18:08:17 EDT Tucson, Arizona - Considering taking out a payday loan or refinancing a mortgage through a company that advertised in the mail? Call (520) 792-3087 first. That's the number of the 'Don't Borrow Trouble' hot line, a new Pima County service that aims to steer Tucsonans away from predatory lenders and assist those who have already become involved with such lenders. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061101A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061101A.html Wed, 01 Nov 2006 12:12:22 EDT Springfield, Illinois - The state of Illinois has fined payday lenders operating in the state over $500,000 since the Payday Loan Reform Act (PLRA) went into effect in December, 2005. Governor Blagojevich signed the Monsignor Egan Payday Loan Reform Act in June, 2005. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061031A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061031A.html Tue, 31 Oct 2006 13:52:01 EDT Chicago, Illinois - Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced today that the Payday Loan Reform Act (PLRA) he signed into law last year has helped thousands of Illinois borrowers save $6.4 million in loan fees and interest charges in just ten months. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061029A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061029A.html Sun, 29 Oct 2006 15:10:02 EDT Madison, Wisconsin - Through programs aimed at youth and immigrants, credit unions in Wisconsin are carving out a niche to serve groups that might not be highly targeted customers at other financial institutions. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061027A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061027A.html Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:35:10 EDT Charleston, West Virginia - The only payday lender in West Virginia has left the state. First American Cash Advance pulled out of West Virginia sometime in July, Deputy Attorney General Jill Miles said today. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061026A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061026A.html Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:10:15 EDT Ardmore, Oklahoma - The Oklahoma Department of Consumer Credit is warning Oklahoma residents about online solictations from out-of-state payday loan companies and other financial services. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061024A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061024A.html Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:16:11 EDT Tucson, Arizona - The interest rates might reach 460 percent, but MesaCAN clients often tell the nonprofit's executive director, Pat Gilbert, that payday loan stores are what keeps them afloat. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061022A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061022A.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:41:08 EDT Chicago, Illinois - PLS Payday Loan Store locations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Mississippi, and Wisconsin donated a total of $18,000 to community schools. The donations were part of a Back to School promotion, in which customers nominated local schools to receive $200 donations. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061020A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061020A.html Fri, 20 Oct 2006 16:15:10 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - Advance America Cash Advance Centers, the nation's largest provider of short-term, unsecured loans, today awarded a $50,000 Advance America Financial Literacy Grant to United Way of the Piedmont to support financial literacy efforts in Spartanburg and Union counties. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061018A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061018A.html Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:21:32 EDT Washington, D.C. - President Bush signed the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act Tuesday. The Act includes an interest rate cap of 36 percent for payday loans made to military personnel. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061014A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061014A.html Sat, 14 Oct 2006 14:21:32 EDT Tempe, Arizona - Mesa may soon join Tempe in regulating how far apart payday loan shops may be situated. This is a tempting but not necessarily good idea. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061011A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061011A.html Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:15:41 EDT Huntsville, Alabama - For a man without a dog in the fight, retired Army Col. Tom Brown uses fighting words. Even though he said he isn't campaigning for anyone, Brown held three news conferences Tuesday across North Alabama to criticize state Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, for owning payday loan businesses which may have caused financial hardship to soldiers. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061007A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061007A.html Sat, 07 Oct 2006 06:05:29 EDT Detroit, Michigan - With Michigan's economy in the tank - thousands of unemployed factory workers and underemployed service workers are looking for jobs and many people are struggling to pay their bills - you might expect business to be booming at payday loan centers. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061007B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_061007B.html Sat, 07 Oct 2006 08:25:17 EDT Fredericksburg, Virginia - When a Marine at Quantico Marine Corps Base couldn't pay off his $500 payday loan by the next payday, he kept extending it for a year and a half. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060929B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060929B.html Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:15:10 EDT Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania banks shied away from the state's effort to provide loans to high-risk borrowers victimized by exorbitant rates on payday loans. But credit unions stepped up to fill the void, said the state Treasurer's Office. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060929A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060929A.html Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:02:12 EDT Little Rock, Arkansas - Members of Arkansas' congressional delegation said Friday that America has a responsibility to protect military service members and their families from predatory loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060928A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060928A.html Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:22:06 EDT Greensboro, North Carolina - As 2005 gave way to the new year, the NC Banking Commission handed down a decision shuttering the state's largest payday lending company; a little more than two months later Attorney General Roy Cooper announced a settlement with three others that would result in the industry for all practical purposes halting operations in North Carolina. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060926A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060926A.html Tue, 26 Sep 2006 15:17:52 EDT Lexington, Kentucky - U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., is backing a proposal to cap high interest rates for short-term payday loans to military service members at 36 percent, a spokesman said yesterday. The decision follows a week of attacks from an opponent and constituents for his previous opposition to the plan. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060925C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060925C.html Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:25:15 EDT Denver, Colorado - The number of Coloradans borrowing money from sub-prime lenders increased last year, according to data released Monday by the Colorado attorney general's office. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060925B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060925B.html Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:21:41 EDT Meridian, Mississippi - David B. Miller is a staff attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice. An Editorial Board guest of The Meridian Star last week, he discussed the group's concerns over payday loan establishments and its upcoming legislative agenda. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060925A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060925A.html Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:12:17 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - Advance America, Cash Advance Centers will, in the company's words, 'respectfully and voluntarily refrain from making any payday advances to active, full-time members of the military effective October 15, 2006 except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law.' http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060922B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060922B.html Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:25:26 EDT Hattiesburg, Mississippi - Throughout the country, payday loans make up the newest and fastest-growing form of short-term lending. There are nearly 1,200 payday lenders in Mississippi. Payday lenders stress they are providing a needed service not available at traditional financial institutions. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060922A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060922A.html Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:14:24 EDT Richmond, Virginia - Predatory lending is not new. During biblical times, abusive lending practices were addressed by instituting strict standards, including banning the charge of interest to the poor (Exodus 22:25). Likewise, in the story of Zaccheaus (Luke 19:8-9), Jesus commended him for promising to repay the excessive fees he had exacted from the oppressed. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060921A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060921A.html Thu, 21 Sep 2006 11:15:20 EDT Washington, D.C. - Congressional negotiators have decided that protecting military paychecks is more important than jurisdictional squabbles, and have agreed to include a 36 percent cap on loan interest rates and fees in the 2007 defense authorization bill. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060920A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060920A.html Wed, 20 Sep 2006 12:22:34 EDT Frankfort, Kentucky - Northern Kentucky Congressman Geoff Davis, who has become embroiled in a debate over limiting predatory lending practices, says his proposal goes further than the 'knee-jerk reaction' amendment he opposes. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060919B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060919B.html Tue, 19 Sep 2006 14:15:21 EDT Fort Worth, Texas - With state legislatures and the federal government cracking down on the payday loan industry, such lenders are coming up with new, creative ways to extend their business. Last month, First Cash Financial acquired a chain of used car dealerships. Now Cash America is extending its reach online by completing the purchase of CashNetUSA, a privately held online payday lender. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060919A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060919A.html Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:45:34 EDT Washington, D.C. - Tellers at the North Carolina State Employees' Credit Union noticed a troubling change several years ago: The first people in line on payday were high-cost lenders, waiting to cash checks from credit union members. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060918A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060918A.html Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:05:15 EDT Fort Worth, Texas - Cash America International, Inc. announced today that it has completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets of CashNetUSA. The acquisition, which was announced in mid-July, establishes a significant internet distribution channel for the Company to provide short-term cash advances to its customers. CashNetUSA has emerged as a leader in the online cash advance business since its entry into the market in early 2004. Today CashNetUSA serves customers in 27 states and will now complement Cash America's 758 lending locations. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060916A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060916A.html Sat, 16 Sep 2006 11:02:12 EDT Washington, D.C. - Supporters of the payday lending industry petitioned members of the Senate on Thursday to block proposed limits on short-term loans to troops, saying the Defense Department is overreacting to the problems of a small number of servicemembers. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060915A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060915A.html Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:52:04 EDT Fayetteville, North Carolina - The federal government is looking at ways to protect soldiers from predatory payday loans that charge high interest rates. North Carolina has already cracked down on lenders, so local credit unions are now offering alternatives. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060914C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060914C.html Thu, 14 Sep 2006 11:25:41 EDT Washington, D.C. - Following is the statement of Hilary B. Miller, President, Payday Loan Bar Association, regarding predatory lending practices directed at members of the armed forces and their dependents before the Senate Committee on banking, housing and urban affairs. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060914B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060914B.html Thu, 14 Sep 2006 11:23:45 EDT Scottsboro, Alabama - Alabama State Senator Lowell Barron (D-Fyffe), a former owner or co-owner of at least 20 payday loan businesses across the state, says he will introduce legislation designed to protect consumers and regulate the companies during the next legislative session. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060914A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060914A.html Thu, 14 Sep 2006 10:27:15 EDT Huntsville, Alabama - State Sen. Lowell Barron, once a major owner of payday loan outlets, says he just got out of the business and is now planning legislation to regulate it. Barron, D-Fyffe, outlined his reform plans this week in a meeting with Times editors and reporters. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060913B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060913B.html Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:17:43 EDT Cushing, Oklahoma - It is a fact of economic life in the Hobbesian world of capitalism that as the number of people mired in poverty increases so do the scum that prey upon them. Both those in poverty and their predators have skyrocketed in the Bush years. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060913A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060913A.html Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:52:15 EDT Washington, D.C. - Payday lenders, facing legislation they say could drive them out of business, offered the Pentagon a plan that would eliminate the profit they make in the military market but could keep Congress from setting a nationwide cap on loan rates to troops. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060912C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060912C.html Tue, 12 Sep 2006 11:18:12 EDT Portales, New Mexico - Concerns over payday loans have military leaders looking for legal changes in the lending system. Charles Brown, a former airman at Cannon Air Force Base, said he found himself in financial trouble when using payday loans became a vicious cycle in his life. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060912B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060912B.html Tue, 12 Sep 2006 11:12:15 EDT Springfield, Missouri - Gov. Matt Blunt announced this morning that nursing homes will no longer be allowed to run on-site payday loan operations to lend money to nursing homes' employees. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060912A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060912A.html Tue, 12 Sep 2006 10:08:10 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, prides itself on offering quick cash solutions to borrowers in need. Lately, the Spartanburg-based payday lender also has offered cash to its shareholders: up to 150 million dollars in the form of two stock buybacks. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060910A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060910A.html Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:05:01 EDT Washington, D.C. - Six months ago, John Elliott, a sailor based at Norfolk Naval Station, was having trouble keeping up with his bills, so he went looking for a quick source of cash to tide him over. He took out what's known as a payday loan, borrowing against future paychecks in exchange for money on the spot. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060909A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060909A.html Sat, 09 Sep 2006 09:45:02 EDT Kennesaw, Georgia - TranDotCom Solutions, a leading provider of transaction management software, announced today the promotions of two key executives, as well as an addition to its management team. TranDotCom Solutions has enjoyed high double digit percentage growth over the past 6 years and continues to align itself as an industry leader. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060908A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060908A.html Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:15:12 EDT Jackson, Mississippi - Per capita, Mississippi ranks third in the nation in the number of check cashing/cash advance outlets, commonly referred to as payday lenders, according to the Mississippi Center for Justice. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060908B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060908B.html Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:13:41 EDT Sacramento, California - California Department of Corporations (DOC) has brought enforcement actions against four online stores that offer 'pay day loans,' on the ground that the stores have not been licensed in California. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060908C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060908C.html Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:11:23 EDT Hattiesburg, Mississippi - Drive down any city street and bet on spotting an establishment that repulses somebody. . . . The latest type of business under that kind of microscope is the storefront operation known most commonly as a payday loan store. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060907A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060907A.html Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:22:18 EDT Washington, D.C. - Sen. Jim Talent on Thursday renewed his push for legislation to stop payday loan companies from targeting military personnel. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060907B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060907B.html Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:15:51 EDT Birmingham, Alabama - A loan is a loan is a loan? Not exactly. There are regular loans governed by Alabama's Small Loan Act, which caps interest rates, depending on the amount borrowed, at either 24 or 36 percent a year. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060907C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060907C.html Thu, 07 Sep 2006 12:42:17 EDT Chicago, Illinois - As Congress reconvenes this week, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich called on the chairmen and ranking members of the Department of Defense Reauthorization conference committee to protect members of the military and their families from the predatory practices of payday loan stores. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060905A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060905A.html Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:55:01 EDT Hill Air Force Base, Utah - State lawmakers may be calling for restrictions on loans made to military personnel following a recently released Department of Defense report that calls the payday loan industry harmful to the war on terrorism. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060905B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060905B.html Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:31:17 EDT Tucson, Arizona - Passing new laws to rein in payday lenders would not only save many American families from triple-digit interest rates and crushing debts but would also enhance our nation's security. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060905C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060905C.html Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:05:34 EDT Kansas City, Kansas - Two years ago, you couldn't find a single payday loan company at 95th Street and Antioch Road in central Overland Park. Today there are three, on separate corners. 'Those are the kinds of stores that you see in parts of town you don't want to live in,' said Lori Olson of Overland Park, a suburb recently ranked by Money magazine as the sixth-best place to live. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060904A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060904A.html Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:15:10 EDT San Diego, California - With a family to feed and no money for groceries, Navy Yeoman 2nd Class Damon LaForce recently did something the military is trying to crack down on: He went to one of the many payday-lending businesses near his base for an instant loan. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060902A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060902A.html Sat, 02 Sep 2006 18:30:02 EDT Sacramento, California - A measure to curb payday-loan industry practices that target the military collapsed in the Legislature after some key backers shunned its weakened form and an Oceanside state senator who served in the Marines refused pleas by Camp Pendleton officers to support a crackdown. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060831B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060831B.html Thu, 31 Aug 2006 16:15:10 EDT Washington, D.C. - As many as one in five members of the armed services are being preyed on by loan centers set up near military bases that can charge cash-strapped military families interest of 400 percent or more, a new Pentagon report has found. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060831A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060831A.html Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:52:45 EDT Albuquerque, New Mexico - Tough new rules set to go into effect today to regulate payday lenders are on hold after a District Court judge ruled the governor and attorney general exceeded their authority. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060830A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060830A.html Wed, 30 Aug 2006 09:15:21 EDT Columbia, South Carolina - If you believe a recent Pentagon report--and I do--payday lenders, title lenders and other predatory loan businesses threaten our national defense. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060829A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060829A.html Tue, 29 Aug 2006 07:15:10 EDT Dallas, Texas - ACE Cash Express, a retail financial services provider, revealed fourth quarter financial results, reporting increased profit on a 27 percent growth in revenues. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060828A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060828A.html Mon, 28 Aug 2006 10:05:12 EDT Arlington, Texas - First Cash Financial Services, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Auto Master, an automotive retailer and related finance company focused exclusively on the 'Buy-Here/Pay-Here' segment of the used vehicle market. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060827A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060827A.html Sun, 27 Aug 2006 10:07:21 EDT Grand Rapids, Michigan - James Anderson just finished paying off a loan with an eye-popping annual percentage rate higher than 380 percent, but he couldn't have been happier. The loan was he borrowed from Approved Cash Advance, 823 28th St. SW, in Wyoming went to fix an air conditioner during the recent heat wave. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060820A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060820A.html Sun, 20 Aug 2006 10:24:18 EDT Sarasota, Florida - The people who call Rosemarie Hayes for help never thought they'd be in trouble. Their reasons vary. Some had a car break down, others missed paying a bill or two. Then they saw the advertisements promising fast, easy cash - a loan until next payday. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060818B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060818B.html Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:05:52 EDT Kansas City, Kansas - The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Q.C. Financial Inc., a payday loan establishment that operates under the name of Quick Cash, has paid $519,088 in back wages to 900 employees to correct violations of the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060818A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060818A.html Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:05:52 EDT Mesa, Arizona - One councilman says Mesa's attempts to prevent the clustering of payday loan stores is akin to racism. 'It's nothing but an attempt to keep Hispanics out of White neighborhoods,' said Councilman Tom Rawles. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060817A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060817A.html Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:17:45 EDT Olympia, Washington - Washington state's Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) alleges that Check 'N Go of Washington, Inc. collected multiple checks from borrowers to secure loans. DFI said it intends to revoke Check 'N Go's license, impose fines, order restitution, and charge for the cost of the investigation. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060816C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060816C.html Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:17:06 EDT San Francisco, California - Allied Cash Advance has relocated its corporate headquarters from the Bay Area to Miami, citing the high cost of doing business in California, the company said Wednesday. The fast-growing company was founded in 1999 with a single location in Northern California. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060816B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060816B.html Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:12:04 EDT Seattle, Washington - In what it characterized as its largest-ever case against a payday lender, the state Department of Financial Institutions on Wednesday filed a statement of charges against Check 'N Go of Washington Inc. and said it intends to revoke the company's license. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060816A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060816A.html Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:06:11 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc., today announced that its board of directors has approved an extension of its stock repurchase program to cover an additional 100 million dollars of the Company's currently outstanding common stock. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060815A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060815A.html Tue, 15 Aug 2006 15:05:02 EDT Washington, D.C. - The Pentagon has thrown its support behind a federal initiative to cap the annual interest rate of so-called 'payday loans' to military personnel at 36 percent. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060813A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060813A.html Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:15:10 EDT Hampton Roads, Virginia - Del. G. Glenn Oder, R-Newport News, has submitted a bill for the 2007 General Assembly session that will put new restrictions on the payday lending industry. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060811B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060811B.html Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:06:10 EDT Trenton, New Jersey - The New Jersey Supreme Court on Thursday held that a provision in a payday loan contract forbidding participation by the consumer in class-wide arbitration is unenforceable. The court decided that the appropriate remedy is to sever the provision and enforce the remaining valid portions of the arbitration agreement. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060811A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060811A.html Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:02:17 EDT Portland, Oregon - A statewide television and radio Public Education Partnership campaign touting the benefits of consumer-friendly, low-cost alternatives to payday loans begins airing on Monday. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060809A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060809A.html Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:02:15 EDT Salem, Oregon - Keizer leaders have decided that a state law restricting payday loans is enough for their city, even though it won't go into effect until next summer. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060806A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060806A.html Sun, 06 Aug 2006 13:01:51 EDT Kansas City, Missouri - An impressive alliance of 70 consumer and veterans groups is supporting a congressional amendment to protect military personnel and their families from potential predatory loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060804B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060804B.html Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:07:42 EDT San Diego, California - Shipmates, I need your help in fixing two issues that are effecting our ability to meet our mission in the region. Financial indebtedness and alcohol-related incidents are taking a toll on our readiness, and the truth is both of these issues are totally preventable. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060804A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060804A.html Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:05:15 EDT Hampton Roads, Virginia - Last month, Del. Glenn Oder sat down with a car-title loan officer to find out how many ways he could get fleeced. To be fair, Oder doesn't characterize it as a fleecing. He considers it more of a fact-finding mission. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060803A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060803A.html Thu, 03 Aug 2006 14:21:59 EDT Washington, D.C. - Credit counselor Yolanda Dixon spends more and more time trying to help soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood who have taken out short-term, high-interest loans against their paychecks. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060802C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060802C.html Wed, 02 Aug 2006 11:52:55 EDT Los Angeles, California - Attorney General Bill Lockyer yesterday filed a $2 million-plus lawsuit against a local pay day loan company for violating a state law that prohibits such businesses from suing for triple the amount of the check when customers' bank accounts do not hold sufficient funds to honor post-dated checks written to secure the loan. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060802B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060802B.html Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:01:09 EDT Pasadena, California - A payday loan company with offices in Arcadia and Eagle Rock faces allegations of deceptive business practices and fraud in a complaint filed Tuesday by the California Attorney General's Office. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060802A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060802A.html Wed, 02 Aug 2006 03:01:21 EDT Katy, Texas - It is no secret that payday loans are everywhere: in storefronts, on the Internet and in your Yellow Pages. A payday loan is a small, short-term loan that is intended to be paid back on the date of your next paycheck. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060801B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060801B.html Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:47:06 EDT Pasadena, California - California Attorney General Bill Lockyer today filed a million-plus lawsuit against Los Angeles County-based Fast Cash for violating a state law that prohibits payday loan businesses from suing for triple the amount of the check when customers' bank accounts do not hold sufficient funds to honor post-dated checks written to secure the loan. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060801A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060801A.html Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:46:05 EDT Mountain Home, Arkansas - A Mountain Home payday lending business that closed in July is allowed to continue collecting loans from its customers, even though it was operating without a state check-cashing license. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060728B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060728B.html Fri, 28 Jul 2006 14:30:18 EDT Portland, Oregon - Governor Kulongoski today announced a new consumer campaign--including a 1-800 hotline and web site--promoting payday loan alternatives and encouraging working Oregonians to avoid these high-interest loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060728A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060728A.html Fri, 28 Jul 2006 11:56:01 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - Considering their growth over the past decade or so, so-called payday lenders are providing a much-needed service by lending customers small amounts of money -- often as little as $50 and sometimes as much as $3,000 -- for a brief period ... usually until the customer gets his or her next paycheck. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060727A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060727A.html Thu, 27 Jul 2006 16:05:01 EDT Fort Worth, Texas - Cash America International, Inc. (NYSE:CSH) announced today that net income for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006 increased 58 percent to $10,913,000 (36 cents per share) compared to $6,900,000 (23 cents per share) for the same period in 2005. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060726C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060726C.html Wed, 26 Jul 2006 17:22:01 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc. (NYSE: AEA) today reported the results of its operations for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2006. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060726B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060726B.html Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:11:16 EDT Austin, Texas - EZCORP's net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2006, increased 163% to $5,608,000 ($0.40 per share) compared to $2,129,000 ($0.16 per share) for the quarter ended June 30, 2005. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060726A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060726A.html Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:52:51 EDT Baton Rouge, Louisiana - One elderly Acadiana area woman calls into the local Better Business Bureau office because she doesn't understand why her Social Security check is being deposited directly into her local payday loan company's bank account. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060723A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060723A.html Sun, 23 Jul 2006 10:35:48 EDT Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan - You get a regular paycheck. You may have little financial experience. You deploy at a moment's notice around the world. That's why the military is the perfect prey for predatory lenders. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060722A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060722A.html Sat, 22 Jul 2006 18:15:02 EDT Louisville, Kentucky - Louisville's Republic Bancorp yesterday reported a 28 percent profit decline for the quarter ended June 30, primarily because of the discontinuation of the company's payday-loan business. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060720B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060720B.html Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:18:07 EDT Phenix City, Alabama - Meet John Gill Jr. For at least 14 years, various payday loan schemes he operated around the country have made him a very rich man. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060720A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060720A.html Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:23:56 EDT Mountain Home, Arkansas - A Mountain Home check cashing business has closed, partially complying with an administrative order issued last month, a state regulatory official said Wednesday. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060719A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060719A.html Wed, 19 Jul 2006 09:11:12 EDT Orlando, Florida - The Florida unit of EZCorp Inc., one of the nation's largest pawn-shop chains and payday lenders, is taking heat from state regulators who accuse it of operating unlicensed offices and stonewalling an investigation of its lending activities. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060716A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060716A.html Sun, 16 Jul 2006 14:12:13 EDT Charleston, South Carolina - As a leading advocate for the low-income community, attorney Susan Berkowitz has seen firsthand the perils of payday lending. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060715B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060715B.html Sat, 15 Jul 2006 11:17:13 EDT Albuquerque, New Mexico - David Seely feels like scratching his head when he hears payday and car-title loan companies squawking about being squeezed out of business if New Mexico caps interest rates at 36 percent or 54 percent or 60 percent. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060715A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060715A.html Sat, 15 Jul 2006 11:15:06 EDT Albuquerque, New Mexico - Emily Bihn doesn't know what she and her young family would have done without payday loans. Between August 2003 and January of this year, Bihn, her fiance and their two little girls depended on a series of loans averaging each to pay for rent, food, gasoline, clothes -- the necessities. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060714A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060714A.html Fri, 14 Jul 2006 13:11:08 EDT Albuquerque, New Mexico - The job of making small, short-term and very high-interest loans is one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. New Mexico has 700 payday and car-title stores. Around the country: more than 22,000. And in New Mexico, a poor state and thus fertile ground, the payday and car-title industry is pretty much free to stampede because no laws control it -- even though some of the state's most prominent political figures are passionate about reining it in. So why haven't they done so? Attorney General Patricia Madrid can tell you something about that. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060712A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060712A.html Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:10:02 EDT Chicago, Illinois - Members of a legislative rule-making committee on Tuesday blocked Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration from imposing highly touted restrictions on short-term lenders and complained that the agency director pushing for the change was politicizing the issue. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060710A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060710A.html Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:25:11 EDT Belmont, California - Cash America International said Monday it will buy CashNetUSA for million in a move to give the brick-and-mortar loan company a better online distribution channel for short-term cash advances. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060709A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060709A.html Sun, 09 Jul 2006 08:52:15 EDT Pensacola, Florida - Active-duty personnel are three times more likely than civilians to take out a payday loan, according to the Center of Responsible Lending. They have a steady income from the government, often with little to spare. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060707C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060707C.html Fri, 07 Jul 2006 21:18:05 EDT Des Moines, Iowa - John Edwards, a White House hopeful, focused on the problem of predatory lenders in his first swing through Iowa since a statewide poll gave his potential presidential campaign a boost. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060707B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060707B.html Fri, 07 Jul 2006 13:12:05 EDT Springfield, Illinois - The Blagojevich administration and Attorney General Lisa Madigan took action Thursday to stop what they allege is a consumer protection violation by payday loan company AmeriCash Loans LLC of Des Plaines. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060707A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060707A.html Fri, 07 Jul 2006 21:25:01 EDT Salem, Oregon - With its two most recent articles ('High title loan costs unchecked' and 'Payday lenders look for ways around cap,' July 2), The Oregonian continues its one-sided and unjust assault on both providers and users of short-term loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060706A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060706A.html Thu, 06 Jul 2006 17:49:28 EDT Salem, Oregon - In recent news on the misguided attempt of Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Silverton and now Beaverton to regulate the terribly misunderstood and wrongly maligned payday loan industry, Beaverton City Councilor Dennis Doyle, however well-intentioned, makes some statements that highlight the gross ignorance that clouds this issue. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060705A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060705A.html Wed, 05 Jul 2006 11:15:12 EDT North Central Arkansas - A member of an Arkansas lending advocacy group said the recent 1.3 million dollar fine against an Arkansas payday lender is a 'big step in the right direction.' http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060703A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060703A.html Mon, 03 Jul 2006 09:42:52 EDT Arkansas - The owner of 14 payday lending businesses in Arkansas, including businesses in Cabot, Beebe and Searcy, was fined 1.3 million dollars Wednesday for operating without a license and ordered to immediately cease, but all 14 are still open and the state board that handed down the order will have to take him to court to enforce it. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060702B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060702B.html Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:45:21 EDT Salem, Oregon - Some payday lenders may already be maneuvering to skirt a state law that will not take effect for another year, state officials say. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060702A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060702A.html Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:15:09 EDT Detroit, Michigan - Driving north on Woodward Avenue through Royal Oak the other day, I spotted a window sign proclaiming good deals on those quick-fix, high-cost, payday loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060628A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060628A.html Wed, 28 Jun 2006 17:12:05 EDT Springfield, Illinois - Just months after Illinois cracked down on the short-term loan business, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is making another push for restrictions to protect consumers: a push the industry says goes too far. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060627A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060627A.html Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:01:16 EDT Little Rock, Arkansas - The nation's largest payday lender stopped offering payday loans across Arkansas late last week, but Advance America said Monday it would keep doing business in the state. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060626A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060626A.html Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:51:19 EDT Wichita, Kansas - Fidelity Bank billboards across Wichita advertise the bank's personal overdraft protection program as 'Your checkbook's best friend.' http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060622B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060622B.html Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:32:16 EDT Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Just three months after exiting the controversial payday lending business in Pennsylvania under pressure from state and federal regulators, payday titan Advance America is back with a new type of short-term, high-priced loan for people strapped for cash. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060622A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060622A.html Thu, 22 Jun 2006 11:15:05 EDT New York, New York - Analyst John Hecht of JMP Securities upgrades Advance America Cash Advance Centers (ticker: AEA) from 'market perform' to 'market outperform,' while raising his estimates for the company. The 12-month target price is set to $18. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060620A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060620A.html Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:42:04 EDT Baton Rouge, Louisiana - They carry innocuous names like Doctor Check, Money Mart and Cash Cow. But critics of payday-loan stores say the high-interest products they peddle are anything but harmless and should be outlawed. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060619B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060619B.html Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:01:35 EDT Wichita, Kansas - If you wanted evidence of the kind of money payday lenders are making -- and are willing to shell out to protect their highly lucrative industry in Kansas -- look no further than the surreal scene that unfolded in Wichita earlier this month. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060619A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060619A.html Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:01:15 EDT Merrillville, Indiana - Having served as head of the region's Better Business Bureau for the past 41 years, Morris Cochran is well aware of the potential problems posed by cash advance businesses and other ventures targeting low income consumers. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060617A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060617A.html Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:41:38 EDT San Diego, California - In an unusual lobbying effort, military brass plan to visit Sacramento next week to plead with legislators to significantly amend a bill they fear could worsen the problem of 'predator lenders' targeting military personnel. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060616A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060616A.html Fri, 16 Jun 2006 14:15:22 EDT San Diego, California - If you're still not sure on how you can get trapped in the jaws of a payday lender, here is the following scenario to break down the situation. The Scenario: Joe Sailor has a past-due bill. He writes a post-dated check for to a local payday lender. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060610A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060610A.html Sat, 10 Jun 2006 12:32:07 EDT Auburn, Alabama - 'The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender.' Anyone who has ever been in debt has experienced the truth of this biblical proverb. And let's be honest with each other: debt is something we know about. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060609B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060609B.html Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:14:41 EDT Wichita, Kansas - Critics of high-interest, short-term loans are seeking tighter restrictions on an industry they say is keeping poor people in a cycle of debt. At least 64 businesses in Wichita offer payday loans, and opponents say that makes it too easy for people to get in over their heads. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060609A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060609A.html Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:02:34 EDT Point Loma Naval Base, California - The head of a newly-formed task force said the Navy has a different kind of enemy in its sights. 'We're going to defeat these predators and we're asking for the help of all the Sailors out there,' said Capt. Mark Patton, commanding officer of Naval Base Point Loma. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060607A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060607A.html Wed, 07 Jun 2006 09:02:34 EDT Oregon City, Oregon - City commissioners decided Monday to consider tighter regulations on payday loan companies. The five-member commission directed City Manager Larry Patterson to prepare an ordinance based on one used by Portland, Gresham and Troutdale, and under consideration by Beaverton and Eugene. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060605A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060605A.html Mon, 05 Jun 2006 17:50:15 EDT Fort Drum, New York - A Fort Drum board whose responsibilities include heading off predatory lending practices didn't even meet for four years. That's according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060604B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060604B.html Sun, 04 Jun 2006 10:45:15 EDT Battle Creek, Michigan - On his first trip to a payday lender, Eric Tobin felt ashamed. He carried a stack of personal documents--pay stubs, bank statements, copies of paid-to-date utility bills--concealed in a large envelope, parked in a neighboring lot and looked both ways upon entering and exiting the small office. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060604A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060604A.html Sun, 04 Jun 2006 09:31:05 EDT Wichita, Kansas - Some Wichitans are furious over the fast cash places popping up all over the city. On Saturday, protesters went from one payday lender to another, protesting their business. Lenders say they're just doing their job. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060602A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060602A.html Fri, 02 Jun 2006 14:05:01 EDT Wichita, Kansas - Worried about people falling into a cycle of payday loans, Sunflower Community Action plans to protest Saturday against some lenders and their collection practices. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060601A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060601A.html Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:43:02 EDT Lincoln, Illinois - A Sangamon County judge has halted the state's attempt to revoke the licenses of four payday loan stores that officials said were trying to circumvent payday loan reforms enacted last year. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060525A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060525A.html Thu, 25 May 2006 13:12:05 EDT Santa Fe, New Mexico - The state has not issued a new license for a payday loan company since a moratorium was imposed in March, and will not issue a new license until the Legislature acts to change the laws regulating that industry, said Edward J. Lopez, superintendent of the state Regulation and Licensing Department. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060524C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060524C.html Wed, 24 May 2006 17:17:05 EDT Roanoke, Virginia - Virginia's politicians take pride in the commonwealth's business-friendly climate. They should be shamed, though, by the payday lending industry that they've allowed to thrive in a loose regulatory environment. This business is loan-sharking without the leg-breaking. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060524B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060524B.html Wed, 24 May 2006 17:15:05 EDT Waco, Texas - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has sued a company with offices in Central Texas, contending the business has lent money at illegal interest rates of as much as 782 percent. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060524A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060524A.html Wed, 24 May 2006 16:32:15 EDT Sacramento, California - Pleas to crack down on 'legalized loan sharks' who prey on young military personnel drew a sympathetic response from the chairwoman of a joint legislative committee yesterday, but little sign of action. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060523B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060523B.html Tue, 23 May 2006 16:22:42 EDT San Diego, California - Military leaders will press state legislators today to protect the hundreds of thousands of young and impressionable service members who are prime targets for payday loan centers, which can charge a maximum annual rate of 459 percent. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060523A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060523A.html Tue, 23 May 2006 14:25:02 EDT El Paso, Texas - An El Paso judge has frozen the assets of a payday loan business as part of a lawsuit by state officials charging that the company is really a loan-sharking operation targeting military personnel. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060521A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060521A.html Sun, 21 May 2006 18:01:21 EDT Nashua, New Hampshire - BACKGROUND: Six years ago, New Hampshire removed caps on the interest that can be charged on payday loans, and the state is now seeing usurious interest rates on this type of short-term borrowing. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060520B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060520B.html Sat, 20 May 2006 13:40:02 EDT Racine, Wisconsin - Alderman Aron Wisneski said he and his neighbors in the 12th District started to notice a proliferation in west Racine of a certain type of business -- payday loan stores. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060520A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060520A.html Sat, 20 May 2006 13:40:01 EDT Eugene, Oregon - It's almost amusing listening to payday loan businesses whine that they're going to be squeezed out of business by long-overdue limits approved in a special legislative session last month. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060519B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060519B.html Fri, 19 May 2006 15:35:00 EDT Gallup, New Mexico - Local payday lenders and their overdue customers have been waiting longer than usual for their day in court lately. According to Cynthia Sanders, chief clerk of the McKinley County Magistrate Court, the city's two magistrate judges have been recusing themselves from all payday loan cases for the past three weeks. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060519A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060519A.html Fri, 19 May 2006 11:00:00 EDT Bainbridge, Georgia - Two people were convicted in Superior Court this week of making high-interest payday loans in violation of Georgia law, District Attorney Joe Mulholland said. Mulholland said these are the state's first felon convictions under the state's new payday lending law. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060518A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060518A.html Thu, 18 May 2006 15:00:00 EDT Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gov. Bill Richardson and Attorney General Patricia Madrid today announced new regulations aimed at curbing the predatory loan business in New Mexico. The regulations, which target payday lenders, would go into effect July 16 after a public comment period in June. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060516A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060516A.html Tue, 16 May 2006 09:00:00 EDT Norfolk, Virginia - Like gas stations and convenience stores, payday lenders tend to spring up wherever consumer traffic is heavy. "We're located in malls and near big-box retailers because that's where our customers are," said Wayne "Jabbo" Covert, vice president for government affairs at Check into Cash Inc., a Cleveland, Tenn., lender with 21 stores in Hampton Roads. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060514B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060514B.html Sun, 14 May 2006 23:20:00 EDT Nashua, New Hampshire - Peter Hildreth doesn't want to take sides on the payday lending issue, but he does say there needs to be alternatives to cash-advance storefronts. "The people who are taking these loans need to take a loan," said Hildreth, commissioner of the New Hampshire Banking Department. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060514A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060514A.html Sun, 14 May 2006 23:20:00 EDT Nashua, New Hampshire - About once a month, Leah Gabriel makes a trip to the Advance America branch on Main Street to take out a "payday" loan. "If I have a car problem, it helps me out, or if I need extra cash," said the Nashua woman, who visited the local branch of the nation's largest cash-advance chain Thursday afternoon with her son and daughter in tow. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060512A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060512A.html Fri, 12 May 2006 08:21:00 EDT Louisville, Kentucky - Thousands of documents containing personal and financial information were found unshredded and scattered behind the Money Now payday loan business on Taylor Boulevard. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060508A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060508A.html Wed, 10 May 2006 21:12:00 EDT San Francisco, California - A leading San Francisco-based Internet lead generation firm and pioneer of performance-based, cost-per-action marketing solutions, reports lender demand for marketing services that generate Internet payday loan leads is quickly reaching a fevered pitch. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060506A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060506A.html Sun, 07 May 2006 09:14:00 EDT Phoenix, Arizona - The Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee has given the thumbs-down to a Phoenix plan to limit the number of payday-loan centers in the city. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060505A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060505A.html Sun, 07 May 2006 09:14:00 EDT Tucson, Arizona - The Legislature overwhelmingly passed a payday lending bill, and last week the governor signed it. But this is no cause for celebration. "It's not much of a bill," Rep. Marian McClure, R-Tucson, told me Wednesday. "But it's better than no bill at all." http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060504C.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060504C.html Fri, 05 May 2006 13:44:00 EDT Kansas City, Kansas - Overland Park-based payday loan company QC Holdings Inc. today reported a drop in first-quarter net income but said it got a better handle on loan losses. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060504B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060504B.html Fri, 05 May 2006 13:44:00 EDT Washington, D.C. - The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) launched a web site intended to, in their words "Help consumers and policymakers combat extremely expensive check-based lending." http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060504A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060504A.html Fri, 05 May 2006 13:44:00 EDT Virginia - Payday lending became more entrenched in Virginia last year as the volume of short-term, high-interest loans surpassed $1 billion, according to data released by state banking regulators Wednesday. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060422A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060422A.html Sat, 22 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Salem, Oregon - Consumer activists scored a victory this week when they persuaded the Oregon Legislature to cap interest rates that lenders may charge for short-term payday loans. However, the regulations don't take effect until July 2007 . . . http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060421A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060421A.html Fri, 21 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Salem, Oregon - Concerns surfaced Friday that some lawmakers voted for the payday loan bill during Thursday's special session as a political move to get incumbents re-elected. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060420A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060420A.html Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Salem, Oregon - A bill to limit interest on payday loans to 36 percent a year and enact other consumer protections for borrowers of the loans won final approval Thursday in the Oregon Legislature. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060419A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060419A.html Wed, 19 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Salem, Oregon - So-called predatory lending is the key issue for an Oregon Senate Committee today (Thursday). It's considering whether the issue of payday loan reform should be tackled during next week's special session. That issue had Senate support last time around, but never made it to the House floor. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060413A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060413A.html Thu, 13 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Portland, Oregon - A group pushing a ballot initiative to rein in payday loan practices is urging the coming special legislative session to avoid the issue if proposals are weaker than what their initiative outlines. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060412A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060412A.html Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Eugene, Oregon - Payday loan companies in Lane County typically charge annual interest rates exceeding 500 percent, and frequently fail to conspicuously post those rates as required by state law, according to a study being released today by the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060409A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060409A.html Sun, 09 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Madison, Wisconsin - The prospect of regulating Wisconsin's growing payday lending industry is going nowhere, and a new proposal in the Legislature isn't likely to do anything to break the impasse. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060408A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060408A.html Sat, 08 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT San Francisco Bay Area, California - On Friday, members of ACORN, Money Mart customers who have been ripped off, and allies from labor and other community groups protested at Money Mart stores in more than 30 cities across the U.S. and Canada, including in San Francisco where 40 members picketed in front of the Money Mart store at Seventh and Market Street. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060405A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060405A.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Aurora, Illinois - A state agency has revoked licenses for four Fox Valley lending facilities owned by the Payday Loan Store of Illinois Inc., charging that they forged documents, took invalid Social Security numbers and failed to give the proper information to applicants. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060405B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060405B.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Aurora, Illinois - The recent allegations against the Payday Loan Store of Illinois Inc. are merely the latest step in an effort by the state to reform short-term lending practices. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060401A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060401A.html Sat, 01 Apr 2006 12:01:00 EDT Albuquerque, New Mexico - The nation's largest payday loan company has been providing thousands of dollars to the Democratic Governors Association chaired by Gov. Bill Richardson. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060330A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060330A.html Thu, 30 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT United Kingdom - My Payday Loan - part of MEM Consumer Finance Ltd - held its first customer survey with one hundred customers being asked for their comments on the cash advance business. The comments ranged from praise for the ease of the service to dispelling some of the myths about short term borrowing. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060324A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060324A.html Fri, 24 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Portland, Oregon - South Carolina is in danger of being overrun by payday lenders seeking to squeeze vulnerable consumers, many of whom are already in financial jams, for every possible dollar. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060323A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060323A.html Thu, 23 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Columbia, South Carolina - South Carolina is in danger of being overrun by payday lenders seeking to squeeze vulnerable consumers, many of whom are already in financial jams, for every possible dollar. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060321A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060321A.html Tue, 21 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Little Rock, Arkansas - The nation's largest payday lending company is considering possibly shuttering its 30 stores in Arkansas, a move that a leading critic of the industry said Monday he hoped would begin a mass exodus of payday lenders from the state. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060320A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060320A.html Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Little Rock, Arkansas - Advance America of Spartanburg, S.C., said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last week that it will cease pay lending operations in Arkansas. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060318A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060318A.html Sat, 18 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Wilmington, Delaware - A few weeks ago, Larry Woody needed $200 fast and turned to an increasingly popular source: a payday lender. He wrote a check for $234 -- post-dated by two weeks so the lender couldn't cash it until then -- and walked out with his $200. He had just paid the equivalent of 440 percent annual interest. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060317A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060317A.html Fri, 17 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Tucson, Arizona - Arizonans with payday loans tend to be younger than the state's average resident, "middle-income" and educated, according to a survey by the payday-loan industry. But a comparison with Arizona census figures shows payday borrowers tend to fall into lower income brackets, and payday-lending critics questioned the survey's findings. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060309A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060309A.html Thu, 09 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Little Rock, Arkansas - Loopholes in the state's payday lending law cost low-income Arkansans more than $68 million annually, according to a report released by an anti-payday lending coalition Wednesday. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060308A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060308A.html Wed, 08 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT North Pulaski County, Arkansas - Arkansas has 275 cash advance or payday lending stores, of which only 66 are licensed and make any pretense of being regulated by the state, according to a study to be released Wednesday morning by Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending (AAAPL). http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060307A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060307A.html Tue, 07 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Spartanburg, South Carolina - 'We would like to apologize to customers in Pennsylvania for the inconvenience caused by this event and the reality that they will be forced to choose more costly alternatives.' - Kenneth E. Compton, Advance America, CEO and President http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060305B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060305B.html Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Charlotte, North Carolina - It may seem odd to wonder where people will turn now that payday lenders have left North Carolina. There is not exactly a shortage of opportunities to borrow money at very high interest rates. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060305A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060305A.html Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT St. Louis, Missouri - Quick cash is easy to get in Missouri. But it will cost you. The cash advance industry is a booming business here, fueled by pawn brokers, check-cashing outlets, title loans and "payday" loan companies. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060302B.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060302B.html Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Fresno, California - Money Mart was given the "Loan Shark of the Year" award for their predatory loan practices in the Fresno area. A brief ceremony was held at the companies Manchester Mall facility as members from ACORN, a local community group, handed the manager a certificate and miniature shark to symbolize Money Mart's ruthless business practices. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060302A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060302A.html Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Louisville, Kentucky - At the urging of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Republic Bank and Trust Co. has decided to end its payday loan business. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060301A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060301A.html Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:01:00 EDT Raleigh, North Carolina - The three major payday lenders still operating in North Carolina will stop offering quick-cash loans in the state, just about eliminating payday lending here, Attorney General Roy Cooper announced Wednesday. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060228A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060228A.html Tue, 28 Feb 2006 12:01:00 EDT Eugene, Oregon - The Rev. Tom Dodd recalls the older parishioner who was living on Social Security and became mired in debt after taking out a couple of payday loans. "I asked if I could come over and look at the paperwork, and I couldn't believe it," says Dodd, pastor at United Lutheran Church in Eugene. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060223A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060223A.html Thu, 23 Feb 2006 12:01:00 EDT Gallup, New Mexico - On Monday, Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, said she was taken by surprise when Sen. Leonard Tsosie helped mount a filibuster on the 2006 Legislature's last day to kill her payday lending bill. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060222A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060222A.html Wed, 22 Feb 2006 12:01:00 EDT Wilmington, Delaware - Under pressure from federal regulators, First Bank of Delaware plans to end its involvement with controversial high-interest "payday" loans. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060220A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060220A.html Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:01:00 EDT Hampton Roads, Virginia - The payday loan industry has exploded in Virginia, and there's been plenty of collateral damage to the financial health of the enlisted servicemen who call the commonwealth home. http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060217A.html http://www.pliwatch.org/news_article_060217A.html Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:01:00 EDT Las Vegas, Nevada - The embattled payday-loan industry got an unlikely ally recently when the National Association of Community Credit Unions released a report outlining the public need for short-term, sm