Licensed Payday Lender Vacancies and Energy Assistance Participation: Evidence from Wisconsin

The State of Wisconsin is one of the few states that imposes no interest rate limits on payday loans and currently upholds one of the highest limits on the maximum amount one can borrow. Despite these favorable conditions, licensed payday lender operations in Wisconsin have declined nearly 90 percent over the past decade. Public policy scholar Melody Harvey will examine how the decrease in payday lender operations has affected participation in Wisconsin’s state-provided energy assistance programs. She will analyze data on licensed payday lender branch openings and closings as well as data on counties’ demographics and energy assistance program participation for her study.