HOUSTON ? May 19, 2008 ? A third of Houston residents are Hispanic, so it comes as no surprise that the city will host the Annual Latin GRAMMY? Awards. Broadcast live from the Toyota Center, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, the event marks the first time Houston will host the premier international showcase of Latin music.

What may be surprising is a recent survey showing Hispanic-Americans, in Houston and elsewhere, as power users of electronic media, including the Internet.

The report says online Hispanics ? ?independent of their language preferences and acculturation levels? ? are heavily engaged in online technology.

Hispanic-Americans over the age of 11 spent more time online than watching television, according to the Terra Networks-sponsored "Hispanic Syndicated Study," conducted by comScore Media Metrix.

More than half - 56 percent - of Hispanic-Americans surveyed said they spent at least an hour online, which was slightly more than the 50 percent who spent an hour or more watching TV.

Terra reported that Hispanic-American Internet users - 30 percent - spent 13 or more hours online weekly, which is more than the 23 percent who watched TV for the same amount of time.

At the same time, Social Compact, a nonprofit coalition that promotes investment in low-income communities, reports that cities with large underbanked populations have massive cash economies - Houston's $443 million represents 13.1 percent of the city's overall economy.

Internet savvy consumers in Houston and across the U.S. who seek cash advances, payday loans and other online fast cash services can find help fast are finding help through an innovative new Web site called PayDayFinder.com.

Launched this year, PayDayFinder is a comprehensive searchable directory of brick-and-mortar payday loan stores throughout the country offering directions, maps and more - along with informative articles and advice on payday loans.

Recently upgraded for easier navigation and to include more locations and content, PayDayFinder now also features a "popular cities" index showing areas with a great selection of payday loan stores.

A payday advance is a small short-term loan without collateral usually repaid on the borrower's next payday. Typically, a customer uses a payday loan to cover small, unexpected, expenses between paydays.

Industry analysts estimate that more than 22,000 payday advance locations across the United States extend about $40 billion in short-term credit to millions of middle-class households that experience cash-flow shortfalls between paydays.