Lisa Servon - The Unbanking of America: How the New Middle Class Survives

Servon, a former dean of The New School and now a professor of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania, is a frequent commentator on consumer financial services. Her new book shows how the country’s traditional banking and credit system has become largely dysfunctional and unwelcoming to any but the wealthiest. Searching for alternatives, less affluent Americans are increasingly turning to new and untested agencies, and Servon gives an in-depth report on check-cashing businesses, payday lenders, and other innovative service providers, some sketchy, but others poised to fill a growing need.