Bibliograph

Shortchanged, life and debt in the fringe economy, Howard Karger

Type

Label

Shortchanged, life and debt in the fringe economy, Howard Karger

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 218-236) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Shortchanged

Nature of contents

bibliographydictionaries

Oclc number

297961692

Responsibility statement

Howard Karger

Series statement

A BK currents book

Sub title

life and debt in the fringe economy

Summary

Drive through just about any low-income neighborhood and you're sure to see streets lined with pawnshops, check cashers, rent-to-own stores, payday and tax refund lenders, auto title pawns, and buy-here-pay-here used car lots. We're awash in "alternative financial services" directed at the poor and those with credit problems. Howard Karger describes this world as an economic Wild West, where just about any financial scheme that's not patently illegal is tolerated. Taking a hard look at this fringe economy, Karger shows that what seem to be small, independent storefront operations are actually page

Table Of Contents

pt. I. Overview of the fringe economy -- 1. America's changing fringe economy -- 2. Why the fringe economy is growing -- 3. Debt and the functionally poor middle class -- pt. II. The fringe sectors -- 4. The credit card industry -- 5. Storefront loans : pawnshops, payday loans, and tax refund lenders -- 6. Alternative services : check-cashers, the rent-to-own industry, and telecommunications -- 7. Fringe housing -- 8. Real estate speculation and foreclosure -- 9. The fringe auto industry -- 10. The getting-out-of-debt industry -- pt. III. Looking forward -- 11. What can be done to control the fringe economy? -- Glossary

Classification