Urban Aboriginal use of fringe financial institutions: Survey evidence from Prince George, British Columbia
This paper analyses the use of fringe financial institutions (FFIs), such as payday loan and check cashing providers, by urban Aboriginal people based on a survey undertaken in Prince George, British Columbia. We found that 60% of FFIs’ clients surveyed self-identified as Aboriginal. Their characteristics, compared to the non-Aboriginal FFI clients, included having lower average incomes, lower levels of education, more likely to be female, a higher incidence of being unemployed, higher levels of financial exclusion, and less satisfaction with the service provided by FFIs. We find that government policy towards regulating the FFI industry is inadequate for meeting the basic financial needs of urban Aboriginal people.
Financial exclusion and financial capabilities in Canada
Purpose - The financially excluded are often denied basic financial services from mainstream banking institutions, leading them to high-cost fringe finance institutions (FFIs) such as payday loan companies and pawnshops. While strategies to address financial exclusion often include financial capabilities education, there does not appear to be evidence suggesting such education is an appropriate solution. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between financial capability and financial exclusion with survey data collected from the Canadian city of Kamloops located in the southern interior of British Columbia. Design/methodology/approach - This exploratory research addresses the objective with survey data collected on the banking habits and financial capability levels of fringe finance users in a Canadian city. Findings - The results imply that fringe finance users do not have lower levels of financial capability than those who do not use fringe finance, when education and income are controlled. Research limitations/implications - Limitations include the relatively small survey sample of 105 people in one urban center in Canada. Originality/value - While financial literacy is acknowledged to be an important life skill for all members of society, there is no conclusive evidence suggesting it is a solution to financial exclusion. This is the first research to examine the relationship between financial exclusion and fringe finance use in Canada by collecting data on fringe finance users with face-to-face interviews.
The lights that failed: European international history, 1919-1933
PART I: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF EUROPE, 1918-1929 1. The Hall of Mirrors: Peacemaking in the West 2. Distant Frontiers: Peacemaking in the East 3. Revolution from the Left: The Soviet Union and the Post-War Settlement 4. The Primacy of Economics: Reconstruction in Western Europe, 1919-1924 5. The Primacy of Nationalism: Reconstruction in Eastern and Central Europe 6. Revolution from the Right: Italy, 1919-25 7. The Geneva Dream: The League of Nations and Post-War Internationalism 8. New Dawn? Stabilisation in Western Europe after Locarno 9. Faltering Reconstruction: Cracks in the Locarno Facade 10. Troubled Waters: Uncertainties in Italy, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union 11. Faltering Internationalism: Disarmament and Security after Locarno Conclusion: Europe Reconstructed? PART II: THE HINGE YEARS, 1930-1933 12. The Diplomacy of the Depression: Economics and Foreign Policy 13. Beyond Europe: The Manchurian Crisis 14. The Poisoned Chalice: The Pursuit of Disarmament Conclusion: The Hinge Years Appendices Select Bibliography