Fringe Banking in Winnipeg's North End

Book excerpt: The geographic boundaries of the North End, as determined by the North End Community Renewal Corporation, is north of the CPR tracks, south of Caruthers Avenue, east of McPhillips Street, and west of the Red River. [...] This 5 In his examination of fringe banking in the US, Caskey (1994, p. 84) argues that a chief reason for their rise is the increase in the number of households without bank accounts, rising from 9.5% of the US population in 1977 to 13.5% in 1989, the result of processes affecting banks (supply side) and bank clients (demand side). [...] The second focus credit risk related to high levels of debt-servicing and personal bankruptcy; the contraction in the bank and finance company supply of non-revolving, unsecured loans; the growing numbers of people with higher credit risk due to increased legal and illegal immigration to the US; the increase in gold prices; the growing awareness among entrepreneurs of the profits in fringe banking [...] Winnipeg and the 16.5% of the population of the North End, North End both have around 13.5% of comprise a smaller percentage at 11.9% their population over the age of retire- of the population of Winnipeg. [...] This is sub- the number of people contributing income stantially higher than the 35% average in to a household, the greater the likelihood the rest of Winnipeg.