With our economy solidly in the shitter, lenders are being stingy. But that hasn't stopped a growing number of people are turning to an old method for acquiring an interest-free loan.

According to statistics from the FBI, bank robberies are up from this time last year. Last January, there were 14 bank robberies in Washington. This year, there were 22.

It'd be fairly easy to assume that the spike is the result of our economy's freefall, but FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs says the jump in January robberies isn't necessarily indicative of an upward trend. "I think one month is too short a period of time to draw any conclusions," she says. "In any given year there are high months and low months."

While the FBI may not be ready to call this spike the beginning of a trend, one SPD employee familiar with bank robberies in the region believes heists are happening "way more than normal" and thinks he knows why it's happening. "People are pissed off at the damn banks," the SPD employee says. "I know that’s what it is."

I know we've already had two robberies in Seattle this month—in the same day. I'll check the stats at the end of February and report back.