19 Signs That You Live In A Country That Has Gone Completely Insane

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/19-signs-that-you-live-in-a-countr y-that-has-gone-completely-insane

This one really caught my eye, since it highlighted how bad the economy
really is and how tapped out so many Americans are these days.

#17 When the number of payday lenders is greater than the number of
Starbucks locations, you live in a country that has gone completely insane.

http://themostimportantnews.com/archives/payday-lenders-united-states-mcdonalds

There are more payday lenders in the U.S. than McDonald's or Starbucks,
reflecting economic conditions in which fast money is even more important
than fast food.

Payday lending, in which users pay a fee for what amounts to an advance on
their paychecks, has blossomed over the past 20 years. There are now more
than 20,000 across the country, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve,
while McDonald's boasts 14,267 locations.

They're used most often by people who lack access to ordinary credit-often
those at or near the bottom of the economic spectrum, with nearly a quarter
living on public assistance or retirement income.

While the loans can fill a need for fast cash, they also can become a way of
life for users who end up paying effective annual percentage rates, or APRs,
well in excess of 300 percent.