▁Network , ▁the ▁K ids ▁First ▁traffic ▁safety ▁program , ▁and ▁the ▁Cons ort ium ▁of ▁Florida ▁Education ▁Found ations ▁( CF EF ). ▁ ▁History ▁A ms cot ▁Fin an cial ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁in ▁T ampa , ▁Florida ▁by ▁Ian ▁Mac K ech nie , ▁an ▁entrepr ene ur ▁and ▁business man ▁who ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁from ▁Scotland ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁Com ing ▁from ▁a ▁background ▁of ▁building ▁and ▁expand ing ▁business es , ▁Mac K ech nie ▁bought ▁a ▁b ak ery ▁in ▁T ampa ▁and ▁began ▁supp lying ▁d ough n uts ▁and ▁pas try ▁goods ▁throughout ▁west ▁central ▁Florida . ▁While ▁continu ing ▁to ▁run ▁his ▁b ak ery ▁business , ▁Mac K ech nie ▁noticed ▁that ▁his ▁employees ▁were ▁c ash ing ▁their ▁pay check s ▁in ▁convenience ▁stores ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁h ass le ▁of ▁going ▁to ▁a ▁bank . ▁Rec ogn izing ▁a ▁demand ▁for ▁a ▁check ▁c ash ing ▁business , ▁Mac K ech nie ▁sold ▁the ▁b ak ery ▁company ▁and ▁founded ▁his ▁own ▁check - c ash ing ▁company . ▁He ▁created ▁and ▁tra dem ark ed ▁the ▁company ▁name ▁A ms cot ▁as ▁an ▁hom age ▁to ▁both ▁his ▁new ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁his ▁native ▁Scotland . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁first ▁A ms cot ▁location ▁was ▁opened ▁on ▁East ▁Broadway ▁in ▁T ampa ▁and ▁a ▁second ▁followed ▁shortly