Pawnshops flourish in hard times, drawing scrutiny
TIME magazine
With banks reluctant to loosen purse strings and credit-card companies aggressively slashing credit lines, a growing number of consumers are turning to the once murky world of pawnshops for quick cash. "Loans are up 20 percent to 25 percent," estimates David Crume, president of the National Pawnbrokers Association. The trade group's executive director, Dana Meineke, says the weak economy and turmoil in the credit markets are expanding the customer base. "We're seeing some new faces," says Daniel Feehan, president and chief executive of Cash America International, a pawnshop company based in Fort Worth, Texas.More

Could S corp owners be a tax target?
Forbes
A report released by Congress' Government Accountability Office shows why owners of the nation's four million S corporations might be a tempting target for politicians hunting for more revenue. The report features new estimates of S corp finagling—estimates based on special in-depth "National Research Program" audits the Internal Revenue Service conducted on 2003 and 2004 S corp tax returns. Over those two years, the GAO estimates, 68 percent of S corps misreported their net income, understating their combined net profits by $85 billion.More

Pawning to pay bill
Carroll County Times
Steve Clagett walked into Carroll County Jewelry and Loan in Westminster,
Md., and placed a compound bow on the counter.  Shop owner Richard Rivkin picked up the bow, which retailed for about $150, and examined it. He gave Clagett $40 for the bow. There are a number of reasons why people go in to pawn and loan shops.More

De Leon to expand Matrícula ID use
Boulevard Sentinel
At a neighborhood reception given for California State Assemblyman Kevin De Leon, at Highland Park Pawnbrokers in Texas, the assemblyman learned that California Pawnbrokers were not able to accept the new Matrícula Consular  ID as identification to get a loan.More

Pawnshop opens doors in Sioux Falls, S. D.
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Action Pawn and Gun in Sioux Falls, S.D., is a typical pawnshop offering loans in exchange for items. James Cheskey, a part owner and manager of the shop, said it will specialize in jewelry, antiques and collectibles. It also will pawn and sell firearms once it receives the appropriate license to do so, Cheskey said.More

Power of the pawn
Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Go ahead. Gather your possessions. Your TV, your gold watch, your son's long-abandoned PlayStation — load them all into a box and head to your local pawnshop. But know this. Once you walk through those doors, you'll become a bona fide member of a not-so-elite club consisting of nearly 30 million Americans.More

Hinkle - U.S. trends: More guns, less crime
Richmond Times-Dispatch
In the months following the presidential election, sales of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. soared. The first 10 months of 2008 had seen an uneven but overall rise of gun and ammo sales, but they spiked in early November over widespread fears that Obama was a "gun grabber." The headlines told the tale: "Gun Sales Soar Amid Fears of Barack Obama Weapons Ban"; "Gun Sales Up Since Election;" "Gun Sales Skyrocket Amid Obama Concerns;" "Obama Driving Surge in Gun Sales, Firearms Groups Say." By April of last year sales were so brisk gun shops were having trouble keeping ammunition in stock.More

Fast money for unexpected bills
Subprime Blogger
If you need fast money for unexpected bills then you might want to do some research on cash advance payday loans. Before you jump to conclusions and decide that this loan type is right for you it is extremely important to do your homework and better understand how the payday loan process works. You will also want to find out how much you are going to be charged in fees or interest.More