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	<title>Bank Talk &#187; Consumer Finance</title>
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	<link>http://banktalk.org</link>
	<description>Exploring the Finances of the Unbanked</description>
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			<item>
		<title>What RALs Cost North Carolinians</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/08/05/what-rals-cost-north-carolinians/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/08/05/what-rals-cost-north-carolinians/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:50:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Carolina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refund Anticipation Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[debt indicator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2568</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Today&#8217;s announcement by the IRS that it is canceling the debt indicator is very significant.
The debt indicator is what made the refund anticipation loan possible.  Without it, banks would never have been able to tell if a tax filer had  outstanding tax liens. Now that the IRS is ceasing to provide the debt [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/08/05/what-rals-cost-north-carolinians/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>IRS Drops the Debt Indicator</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/08/05/irs-drops-the-debt-indicator/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/08/05/irs-drops-the-debt-indicator/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:38:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refund Anticipation Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unbanked]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2564</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
This hour, the IRS has announced that it intends to cease to provide tax refund companies with the debt indicator. This is a ground-breaking change for the tax refund anticipation loan market.
From the IRS press release:
“As we prepare for tax season every year, we look at past practices and consider whether they still make sense. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/08/05/irs-drops-the-debt-indicator/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Great for Cash America, not so Great for America</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/22/great-for-cash-america-not-so-great-for-america/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/22/great-for-cash-america-not-so-great-for-america/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:15:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payday lending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cash America]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pawn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payday]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2464</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Cash America (CSH) reported a strong (indeed, a &#8220;blow-out!&#8221;) quarter this morning, and although their stock is down this morning, their success would indicate more activity for payday and pawn lending. Their volume is up, which certainly contrasts with the lamentations about low loan demand that we have heard from the big banks, and they [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/22/great-for-cash-america-not-so-great-for-america/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Risks with the NetSpend IPO</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/21/top-five-problems-with-netspend-ipo/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/21/top-five-problems-with-netspend-ipo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:46:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payday lending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prepaid cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IPO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MetaBank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NetSpend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payday]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2444</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
NetSpend intend to sell its shares in an initial public offering, according to documents filed by the Austin, Texas marketer of prepaid cards. Their plans follow the path laid out earlier in the year by Green Dot. Green Dot&#8217;s IPO is this week, and early indications suggest that there is a lot of demand for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/21/top-five-problems-with-netspend-ipo/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Whither Block and Liberty?</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/19/whither-block-and-liberty/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/19/whither-block-and-liberty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:25:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refund Anticipation Loans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Business fundamentals aside, it is easy to see why John Hewitt would want to team up with Thomas Bloch.
Hewitt is old school. He began his career at Block, then started his  own store.  Fifteen years later, Jackson Hewitt was the second largest  chain in the country. Hewitt started over at Liberty in 1997. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/19/whither-block-and-liberty/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why Did Tom Bloch Split from H&amp;R Block?</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/19/why-did-tom-bloch-split-from-hr-block/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/19/why-did-tom-bloch-split-from-hr-block/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:51:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refund Anticipation Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[H&R Block]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2424</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
It is not a good sign when the co-founder&#8217;s son resigns because he doesn&#8217;t agree with the business plan of a company. It is even worse when he goes to the local press to vent his frustration. Unfortunately, that is what Tom Bloch did this weekend.
Bloch told the Kansas City Star &#8220;My reasons can be [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/19/why-did-tom-bloch-split-from-hr-block/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rep. Mel Watt Enjoys Donuts, Then Protects Car Dealers</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/16/rep-mel-watt-enjoys-donuts-then-protects-car-dealers/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/16/rep-mel-watt-enjoys-donuts-then-protects-car-dealers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:25:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Auto Dealers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CFPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mel Watt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2418</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
When scores of bank lobbyists spend thousands of dollars, is it because they like Bojangles and Krispy Kreme, or is it for some other reason? If you are Mel Watt, and those lobbyists are representing auto dealers on the eve of a decision to potentially example car dealers from regulatory oversight, then the answer is:
Bo-Size [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/07/16/rep-mel-watt-enjoys-donuts-then-protects-car-dealers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Direct Deposit Rules</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/28/direct-deposit-could-upend-the-ral-and-rac-function/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/28/direct-deposit-could-upend-the-ral-and-rac-function/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:28:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Earned Income Tax Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refund Anticipation Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prepaid cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[H&R Block]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jackson Hewitt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax prep]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2341</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
President Obama&#8217;s new mandate that all recipients of government checks could be a game changer in the prepaid market. The policy, which makes all recipients of repeat government payments required to accept their payments through direct deposit, should put more Treasury-designed Direct Express cards in the pockets of Americans.
The new rule makes a lot of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/28/direct-deposit-could-upend-the-ral-and-rac-function/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>More Interlocks to Green Dot</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/18/more-interlocks-to-green-dot/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/18/more-interlocks-to-green-dot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:12:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prepaid cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unbanked]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CompuCredit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Dot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PRBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wal-mart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2298</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Green Dot is a closely held company with a set of principal shareholders that have contacts throughout the narrow universe of the prepaid debit card market. Green Dot has filed an application to buy Bonneville Bank, a small one-branch state-chartered bank in Utah. The Federal Reserve is currently reviewing that application. There has been some [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/18/more-interlocks-to-green-dot/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Linking Green Dot to Pay Day Lending</title>
		<link>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/17/linking-green-dot-to-pay-day-lending/</link>
		<comments>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/17/linking-green-dot-to-pay-day-lending/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:19:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adam Rust</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Consumer Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payday lending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[subprime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unbanked]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Dot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wal-mart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://banktalk.org/?p=2291</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
In its application to the FRB of SF, Green Dot says that its business plan for its acquisition of Bonneville Bank does not include any intent of offering credit to consumers that use its debit cards.  I hope that this is true. High-cost credit lines are the biggest problem with the cards at MetaBank. When [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://banktalk.org/2010/06/17/linking-green-dot-to-pay-day-lending/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
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