Union Bank offers banking to poor communities by means of check cashing and pay day loans. Its efforts don’t win admiration that is universal.

Driving through Bayview Hunter’s aim, an undesirable, mostly African-American community near bay area’s 3Com Park, Union Bank of California Vice Chairman

Richard Hartnack Richard Hartnack

views one of several bank’s branches and sighs: “I’m able to state without doubt it is never ever made cash.” Why not near the branch? Since the government that is federal as a cost for approving Union Bank’s merger with Ca First Bank, compelled it to discover branches in low-income areas.

Farther south when you look at the rough Southern Central section of Los Angeles, it really is a picture that is far different the $36 billion (assets) bank. Standing down in their gray suit and tie that is red a dusty Hispanic community, Hartnack enthuses in regards to the organization’s bustling 15-unit Cash & Save check-cashing string, which Union has run since 1993, as well as its newer endeavor with Carson, Calif.-based Nix Check Cashing.

“It is this kind of market that is underserved” he beams, as Hispanic and African-American clients make to cash checks while watching thick, green bulletproof glass of a Nix socket.

This is basically the flip part to the debate about check-cashing and payday-loan clothes. In states such as for instance Florida, Ca and Illinois, politicians and customer activists want to rein within the trade that is thriving capping interest levels and restricting the capacity to remove consecutive loans to settle current people. [Read more…]