Aaron's reported terrific earnings, showing there is some traction in the economy, at least on some level.

When Oregon capped payday loan APRs at 36% in 2007 Advance America closed all their stores in the state. Why? Because the legislature made it impossible for them to collect interest at rates that sometimes ran as high as 700%. So they took their business elsewhere. Payday lenders sometimes try to get around usury laws by denying that they're making loans at all. In an attempt to characterize loans as something else they may call them “sale-leaseback” transactions “deferred presentments ” “cash advances ” “deferred deposits ” “check loans” and the like. In a paper called “Usury Law Payday ...

A rent-to-own business model makes sense during a downturn, and Rent-A-Center's recent selloff could be a buying opportunity.

There's a beautifully rehabbed 4-story industrial warehouse in downtown Brooklyn its red brick façade emblazoned with large white letters foretelling of a long-ago business: John Curtin Inc. Sail Makers - Canvas Goods.It had recently been a furniture store but stood vacant since early 2006 shortly before I first passed by. I was disappointed when the store reopened 6 months ago as a chain retailer; another example of corporate overdevelopment I thought. But then I saw the masthead -- Urban Outfitters (URBN) -- walked in and immediately changed my mind. I had shopped at Urban Outfitters before but this particular ...

When all other methods fail, maybe the best solution is just looking for stocks that are rising. We examine a quartette of contrarians.