"Predatory," "uncharitable" and "taking advantage" of are just some of the descriptions that  the media and mainstream financial services describe check cashing centers, but do the people who frequent them feel they are being bilked?

"I used to bank at a credit union but they held my paychecks for 10 days sometimes and I needed that money," said George Fernandes of San Diego, CA, who has banked at Payday Loans Center for five years. "I'm a day laborer and I get paid by lots of different people so they would always look at my check like I forged it or something and then hold it. I finally had enough. The fees I pay to cash my check immediately are worth it."

According to the USPS Inspector General, "There are about 34 million underserved U.S. households, comprising more than a quarter of all American families. Being underserved often comes at a hefty price. The average underserved household has an annual income of about $25,500 and spends about $2,412 of that just on alternative financial services fees and interest. That amounts to 9.5 percent of their income. To put that into perspective, that is about the same portion of income that the average American household spends on food in one year. In 2012 alone, the underserved paid some $89 billion in fees and interest."