$ Breakdown was produced by students in the College Now program at Brooklyn College in collaboration with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). In 2010, the crew set out to investigate the cost of money. From interviewing folks at banks, check cashing places, pawn shops, and credit unions, they learned what's scary and what's confusing about money; who's borrowing it; who's paying the most for it, and why.
When you have a bank account (when you're "banked") borrowing and using money is very different from when you don't have a bank account (when you're "unbanked"). People who are unbanked use alternative financial institutions (some people call this "fringe banking"), like check cashing places, pay day lenders, and pawn shops. These short animations serve as introductions to some of the differences between mainstream banks and "fringe" banking institutions.