EDMONTON, July 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - The Cash Store Financial Services Inc.
("Cash Store Financial" or the "Company") (TSX:CSF; NYSE:CSFS) today
provided an update on regulatory matters related to The Cash Store Inc.
and Instaloans Inc. chains that operate in Ontario.
Effective July 4, 2013, The Cash Store Inc. and Instaloans Inc. will
allow their respective payday loan licenses in Ontario to expire.
Neither company has offered payday loans in Ontario since February 1,
2013. On that date, the Company made available to consumers a suite of
unsecured line of credit products that enables consumers to move up the
credit ladder towards credit-scored products that will eventually
enable access to mainstream lending products. At that time, the
Company also stated that it would retain payday loan licenses for The
Cash Store Inc. and Instaloans Inc. in Ontario until such time that the
performance of the new product offering in that market materialized as
the Company anticipated.
Cash Store Financial has evaluated the success of the line of credit
products in Ontario. It is now satisfied that there is no need to
renew its payday loan licenses and will allow its current licenses to
expire.
"We have been very pleased with consumer acceptance of the lines of
credit products distributed through our branches in Ontario which serve
a large consumer segment not currently accommodated by traditional
banks or credit unions," said Gordon J. Reykdal, CEO.
About Cash Store Financial
Cash Store Financial is the only lender and broker of short‐term
advances and provider of other financial services in Canada that is
listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:CSF). Cash Store Financial
also trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:CSFS). Cash Store
Financial operates 513 branches across Canada under the banners "Cash
Store Financial" and "Instaloans". Cash Store Financial also operates
27 branches in the United Kingdom.
Cash Store Financial and Instaloans primarily act as lenders and brokers
to facilitate short-term advances and provide other financial services
to income-earning consumers who may not be able to obtain them from
traditional banks. Cash Store Financial also provides a private-label
debit card (the "Freedom" card) and a prepaid credit card (the "Freedom
MasterCard") as well as other financial services, including bank
accounts.
Cash Store Financial employs approximately 1,900 associates and is
headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta.
Cash Store Financial is a Canadian corporation that is not affiliated
with Cottonwood Financial Ltd. or the outlets Cottonwood Financial
Ltd. operates in the United States under the name "Cash Store." Cash
Store Financial does not do business under the name "Cash Store" in the
United States and does not own or provide any consumer lending services
in the United States.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the
meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of United States
federal securities legislation, which we refer to herein, collectively,
as "forward-looking information". Forward-looking information includes,
but is not limited to, information with respect to our objectives,
strategies, operations and financial results, competition, as well as
initiatives to grow revenue or reduce retention payments. Generally,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "plans", "expects", or
"does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate", or "believes" or
variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions,
events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken",
"occur", or "be achieved". In particular, this news release contains
forward-looking information with respect to our goals and strategic
priorities, introduction of products, share repurchase initiatives,
branch openings and competition, as well as initiatives to grow revenue
or reduce retention payments. Forward-looking information is subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or
achievements of Cash Store Financial, to be materially different from
those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information,
including, but not limited to, changes in economic and political
conditions, legislative or regulatory developments, technological
developments, third-party arrangements, competition, litigation, risks
associated with but not limited to, market conditions, and other
factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual MD&A,
which is on file with Canadian provincial securities regulatory
authorities, and in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission. All material assumptions used in
providing forward-looking information are based on management's
knowledge of current business conditions and expectations of future
business conditions and trends, including our knowledge of the current
credit, interest rate and liquidity conditions affecting us and the
general economic conditions in Canada, the United Kingdom and
elsewhere. Although we believe the assumptions used to make such
statements are reasonable at this time and have attempted to identify
in our continuous disclosure documents important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in
forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause
results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Certain
material factors or assumptions are applied by us in making
forward-looking information, including without limitation, factors and
assumptions regarding our continued ability to fund our payday loan
business, rates of customer defaults, relationships with, and payments
to, third party lenders, demand for our products, as well as our
operating cost structure and current consumer protection regulations.
There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be
accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially
from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should
not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We do not
undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in
accordance with applicable securities laws.
SOURCE The Cash Store Financial Services Inc.