The threat of Wal-Mart's MoneyCard.

• Position: Marketing News - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. - Brief article

The potential for a retailer such as Wal-Mart to make inroads into financial services by offering an alternative to a traditional checking account may be greater than it first appeared, according to Synergistics, the Atlanta-based financial services industry research firm.

According to the firm's recent research report, "The Threat of Alternative Financial Providers," almost one-fifth of lower-income survey respondents are aware of the new prepaid MoneyCard from Wal-Mart. When asked how likely they would be to purchase this type of card, about one-tenth say they would be likely to do so. Although this...