PROJECT: PAY DAY LENDING
The goal of the project was to answer just one question, how many payday locations conduct business in Denton? The result generated compelling narratives, graphics, data gathering and lots, lots of driving.
Story 1: Easy credit flourishes
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe, Rachel Mehlhaff, Karina Ramírez and John Harden / Staff Writers
March 16, 2013
A Denton Record-Chronicle investigation has found payday and title lending locations proliferating in Denton near lower-income neighborhoods. At the same time, though a link was not immediately evident, financial crimes in the city have increased, records show.
Most of the storefronts have opened in Denton in the past decade, with 14 of the 39 businesses opening in the past five years and half of those operating in the city a year or less. The investigation also found that less than two-thirds of those storefronts appear to be licensed with the state.
Find out more:
About this project
Actual costs high for payday loans
Financial crimes in Denton, 2008-12
Crime data and lender locations
Census map
Payday loans
Karina Ramírez 