Shortchanged exposes how America"s "fringe economy"—the booming industry of check cashers, payday lenders, pawnshops, and so on—that prey on the poor and middle class. •The first book to chronicle how the fringe economy ruthlessly and systematically exploits the poor and middle classes •The number of people affected by the fringe economy is enormous—it’s not just poor immigrants, but working and middle class families who are affected •Author provides both the hard facts and personal stories—has scores of shocking real-life examples Shortchanged takes a hard look at the corporate vultures that prey on America’s poor and middle classes. This “fringe economy”—made up of pawnshops, payday lenders, check cashers, credit card companies and the like—entices vulnerable consumers into an economic netherworld of high interest rates and ever-increasing debt. Powerful analysis is combined with moving personal stories of the mothers, fathers, and...