OK, at the time of the story, Marley was long dead (but Scrooge was too cheap to buy a new sign).
At any rate, Scrooge had been apprenticed to “Old” Fezziwig-whom (I gather) was some kind of drygoods? wholesaler?
Was Scrooge a broker or trader? He seems not to have had anything but an office and one poor (overworked) clerk-one Bob Cratchit.
The story mentions that Scrooge lent to the “corn factors”-were these guys traders in receivables?
At any rate, Scrooge was very advanced in years, and was tremendously wealthy- was his nephew Fred in line for a big inheritance (when Scrooge kicked the bucket)?
Jammin’.
It’s never explained in any detail what their business is, but at one point Marley describes their office as “our money-changing hole” and Scrooge appears to have a usurious relationship to the lesser folk around town.
There is an old thread about this and the consensus seems to be they were lenders, but you can read for yourself.
If you read George Orwell’s famous essay on Charles Dickens, he points out that Dickens is often vague on what rich people do for a living, other than being “merchants”.
Loan office, I thought, just as others have mentioned.
The story only says that the young Scrooge was apprenticed in a warehouse which Fezziwig ran and presumably owned. I’ve checked my copy of “The Annotated Christmas Carol” and no other information is given.
The original story does NOT mention “corn factors”. That was inserted in the GCS version, I think. And “corn” in British usage = “wheat” in the USA. Brits currently use the terms “maize” and “Indian corn” where we use “corn”. But I’m not sure if that was intended in the GCS version.
No. First of all, the story does not say he was tremendously wealthy or anything like that. Fred only says that Scrooge is “rich enough”, i.e., to be a lot happier than he is. The end shows he had enough money of his own to start donating to charity and help his nephew and probably a substantial amount left over, but beyond that we don’t know. Second, Scrooge obviously objected to Fred marrying against his wishes, so he surely cut Fred out of his will and made other uncontestable arrangements. As speculated in the scene with the bankers, he may have left his own personal assets to his company.
Hmm, much like “some” currently rail against vague “fat cats.”
WTF is GCS?
That’s the impression I got too. Proto-PayDay loan office.
George C. Scott
In a story so abundant with them, surely no mention need be made of “corn factors.”…
engage, indulge, what’s the fuckin’ difference, you know what i’m trying to say here…
Thank you!
I’ve never actually seen that one as far as I recall. Personally, I prefer to stick with the actual text or the Rich Little version. 
Corn= wheat.
Factor, in this context, means “merchant.”
Scrooge clearly is portrayed as a moneylender.
Ships chandlers?
Wasn’t it a counting house? So I assumed some sort of accounting firm.
There is a scene in the Patrick Stewart (book on tape) version about the “people affected by this death” and it is a couple who are late with the rent but since their landlord is dead, they will have a little time to get the money together before it is sorted out who they owe it to now.
No, wait, I’m not sure if they mention that he is the landlord or just a loan.
I think it’s the Albert Finney version(musical) where he’s collecting payments/making loan extensions from various street merchants.
Doesn’t he drive around on a bulldozer pushing all his money, gold and jewels around? Oh wait that’s Scrooge McDuck 
We definitely say “maize” but I’ve never even heard the term “Indian corn”.