Abstract
This updated analysis by Marketdata examines the controversial but growing "alternative financial services" sector - a $27 billion business comprised of loosely regulated check cashing, payday loan, money transfer and payday loan services. These outlets serve 35% of the U.S. population. Many companies are happy to accept the business of consumers with spotty credit records who have been rejected by banks--the 12 million "unbanked" households that choose not to use traditional banks.
Explosive growth had taken place in the payday loan business, but they have come under heavy scrutiny. Critics say these services gouge consumers with high fees and interest rates, but they do provide more convenient hours, less red tape, easier credit, and most customers don' t seem to complain. There are 13,000 check cashing outlets, 11,000 pawn shops, 25,000 payday loan stores and 467,000+ money transfer agents competing for this business today. Many outlets/services overlap-providing multiple services at the same site. The study explores why growth at check cashers and pawn shops is meager, and the effects of the economic slowdown.
This new study by Marketdata examines the nature of the business, reasons for the growth of non-bank services, immigration trends, national receipts/growth from 1999-2007, 2008 to 2013 forecasts, average store revenues, customer demographics, key industry trends, federal/state industry regulation/fee caps, self-service check cashing machines, profit margins, franchising, gold prices, global remittance trends, consumer debt levels, reasons for the industry' s past negative image, and more. Findings of research studies by: Fannie Mae, Georgetown University, FISCA, Federal Reserve Board, brokerage analysts, Natl. Check Casher' s Assn., The World Bank, INS, Natl. Pawnbroker' s Assn., U.S. Census Bureau, FDIC, and more.
This study is believed to be one of the few in-depth publicly available business analyses that exists of this market. 13 in-depth company profiles (with 2005-2007 financials) are provided for: ACE Cash Express, Check Into Cash, Dollar Financial, Western Union, Moneygram, Ria Financial, Cash America, EZCORP, First Cash Financial, Advance America, Check Into Cash, CNG Financial, and QC Holdings.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Study Scope, Sources, Methodology
Executive Overview of Major Findings
- * Definition of the components of the U.S. market serving consumers outside of the traditional financial services market (the "unbanked"). Alternative financial services: Check Cashing Stores, Money Transfer Services, Pawnshops, Payday Advance Lenders. Definition of each segment, number of outlets, and reasons for growth, dollar mkt. size 1999-2007, 2008 & 2013 forecasts, major competitors.
- * Major market trends affecting each of four sectors.
- * Discussion of reasons for growth of non-bank services, population living below poverty level.
- * Discussion of family debt levels.
- * Discussion of non-commercial bankruptcy trends.
- * Discussion of annual U.S. immigration.
- Tables:
- - U.S. Population Living Below the Poverty Level (1990-2004)
- - Reasons Why Unbanked Families Do Not Have Checking Accounts (1995-2004)
- - Debt Service Payments to Family Income (1995-2004)
- - U.S. Noncommercial Bankruptcies (1991-2006)
- - Annual U.S. Immigration (1992-2007)
- - Market potential: 1999-2013 F estimated $ receipts of check cashing outlets, money transfers, pawnshops, payday loan services, total industry.
The U.S. Check Cashing Industry
- Summary & Nature of the Business: How Check Cashing Companies Operate
- * Industry definition and size. Number of outlets. Check cashers offer convenience for a price. Typical fees charged.
- * Other services offered: money orders, wire transfers, electronic bill payments, notary signatures, utility bill payments, and lottery tickets
- Industry History and Evolution
- * Beginnings in the Great Depression.
- * Impact of deregulation of the U.S. banking industry.
- Customer Demographics (by gender, income, race, etc.)
- * Scarborough Research 2006 study.
- * Ace Cash Express customer profile.
- * FISCA 2006 trade group customer profile
- Emerging Industry Trends
- * Check cashing fees on the rise, Consumer Federation of America survey
- * 2007 Federal Reserve Payments study, data for 2000, 2003, 2006
- * The entry of Wal-Mart into the check cashing market - discussion
- * More competition from: Pay By Touch, 7-Eleven, Wal-Mart
- Industry Regulation
- * Federal Regulations, state regulations
- * Definition of: The Bank Secrecy Act, Money Laundering Suppression Act,
USA Patriot Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
- Table: Check Cashing Fees, by type check
- Table: List of state check cashing fee caps
- Table: State Banking Departments for States With Check Cashing Fee Maximums
- Industry Size, Growth, Forecasts
- * Industry sales: 1999 through 2007
- * Composition of check cashing revenues by type
- * Industry sales and number of projected units for 2008 - 2013
- Check Cashing Industry Structure & Profit Margins
- * Review of the composite financial statements for check cashing outlets
in New York State.
- Table: Number and Dollar Value of Payments by Check in the U.S. (2007)
- Table: The major check cashing franchises at a glance, number, fees, capital needed
- Table: Check volume & fees reported: 1993-2006, New York banking dept.
- Table: Composite balance sheet of NYS check cashing outlets (2003-2006)
- Table: Composite income statement of NYS check cashing outlets (2003-2006)
- Major Competitors: In-depth profiles for…(headquarters location, services, detailed 2005-2007 financials, mergers, history and company profile)
- Table: The Major Check Cashing chains (no. of outlets)
- Ace Cash Express, Inc.
- Check Into Cash
- Dollar Financial Corporation
The U.S. Money Transfer Services Industry
- Nature of the Business
- * The transition from the money order to the electronic wire transfers, how electronic transfers work.
- * Market drivers: global migration trends, US population vs. foreign born, illegal immigrants
- * Industry size.
- * Industry is being driven by the rise in global immigration.
- Table: U.S. Immigration by Country of Origin (2001-2007)
- Industry Trends
- * International money transfer market is very fragmented.
- * Major players have a small market share. Number of Western Union & Moneygram agents worldwide, role of Wal-Mart, mobile finance
- * New technologies present new competition, discussion of 3 transfer models used
- * Discussion of collapse of Moneygram.
- * U.S. banks are developing services for the U.S. - Latin America
transmission corridor.
- Table: Global Wire Money Transfer Market Share, by company (2004, 2007)
- Table: Number of Western Union and Moneygram Agents Worldwide (2002-2007)
- Regulation of the Industry
- * Review of state & federal regulations.
- * Definition of: The Bank Secrecy Act, Money Laundering Suppression Act, USA Patriot Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
- Industry Size, Growth, Forecasts
- * Industry revenues for 1999 through 2007 - discussion & analysis
- * Industry revenue projections for 2008 through 2013
- Table: Size of U.S. money transfer industry, revenues 1999-2008, 2013 forecasts
- Table: Size of U.S. money transfer industry, by company revenues 1999-2008, 2013F
- Major Competitors: In-depth profiles for…(headquarters
location, services, company history, recent developments, sales 2005-2007,
2008 first qtr. financials).
- Western Union
- Moneygram International
- Ria Financial Services
The U.S. Pawnshop Industry
- Nature of the Business
- * Earliest form of consumer lending.
- * Highly fragmented industry concentrated in southeast & southwestern U.S., no. of pawnshops, avg. interest rates
- * The pawn loan process - discussion.
- Emerging Industry Trends
- * Pawnshops' entry into the payday loan market, reason for decline in number
- * Discussion of why pawn shops have benefited from rising gold prices
- Table: Number of U.S. pawnshops: 1987-2007
- Table: Historical international gold prices: 1999-2008
- Pawnshop Customer Demographics (by age, race, gender, income, etc.)
- * Review of the Georgetown study - major findings, profiles of typical customer From Natl. Pawnbrokers Assn., Gregory Elliehausen.
- Regulation of the Industry
- * Review of state & federal regulations, recent anti-payday lending legislation
- * Definition of: The Bank Secrecy Act, Money Laundering Suppression Act,
USA Patriot Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
- Table: State Regulations on Pawnshop Interest Rates and Fees
- Table: State Pawnbroker Associations - contacts and phones.
- Industry Size, Growth, Forecasts
- * Discussion of saturation levels vs. payday loan services, comparisons
- * Industry sales, no. of units for 1999-2007 - discussion, avg. shop sales 1999-2007
- * Marketdata estimates of industry sales/no. of projected units for
1999-2007-analysis
- Table: Pawnshops & US population per pawnshop, by state
- Table: Revenues and number of units for 1999-2007, forecasts for 2008-2013.
- Major Competitors: In-Depth Profiles for…(Headquarters location, services, company history, recent developments, sales 2005-2007, 2008 first qtr. financials).
- Table: The major pawnshop chains, top 3 companies, no. of retail outlets,
pawnshops, revenues, net income - 2007)
- Cash America International
- EZCORP, Inc.
- First Cash Financial Services
The Payday Loan Industry
- Nature of The Business
- * No longer the fastest growing segment of the alternative financial services industry
- * The standard and bank business models - discussion
- Table: Comparison of Standard Payday and Bank Payday Loan Models
- Emerging Industry Trends
- * Check cashing services and pawnshops are entering the payday loan market - analysis
- * Legislative actions constraining growth - discussion of state/federal actions
- * Increased competition from credit unions
- End-User Demographics - Who is the Payday Advance Customer?(by age, income, amount of loan, gender, reasons for loan, etc.)
- * Review of the Georgetown Study - major findings
- * Review of the IO Data study - major findings
- * Advance America' s 2007 customer profile.
- Regulation of the Industry
- * Review of state & federal regulations, recent anti-payday lending legislation
- * Definition of: The Bank Secrecy Act, Money Laundering Suppression Act,
USA Patriot Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
- Table: Comparison of Payday Loan Terms and Interest Rates by State
- Industry Size, Growth, Forecasts
- * Industry sales and number of units for 1999 through 2007 - analysis
- * Analysis of saturation levels
- * Discussion and rationale for long-term forecasts
- Table: Payday Loan Outlets by State - number, population per outlet.
- Table: Estimated size of the payday loan industry, units, revenues: 1999-2007
- Table: Industry sales and number of projected units for 2008 through 2013
- Table: Industry loan volume and revenue per unit: 1999-2007, 2008-2013 forecast.
- Payday Loan Industry Financials & Profit Margins
- * Review of the Flannery and Samolyk study - major findings, avg. sales per unit, expenses, margins.
- * Discussion of composite industry financials.
- Table: Payday Loan Outlet Composite Income Statement for a Typical Unit.
- Table: Payday Lender Loan Portfolio Characteristics
- Table: Customer Loan Activity (no. of customers, loans, other metrics)
- Major Competitors: In-depth profiles for…(Headquarters location, services, company history, recent developments, sales 2005-2007, 2008 first qtr. financials).
- Table: The major payday loan companies, top 4, 2007 revenues, net income,
units
- Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc.
- Check Into Cash
- CNG Financial Corp.
- QC Holdings
Reference Directory of Trade Associations & Sources
- * Address, phone, contacts for major trade groups, consultants, list of industry studies and articles, Wall Street analysts/research reports.
