Commercial lending

After the departure of a key Small Business Administration official, lawmakers from both parties are calling on the SBA's chief to delay rules that could open the agency's biggest lending program to more nonbanks — or even consider reversing the changes.

The Florida lender hired corporate bankers in New York City who had previously worked at First Republic Bank, which collapsed last week.

The Federal Reserve's survey of senior loan officers is being closely watched since it follows the recent turmoil in the banking industry, which has prompted concerns that a pullback in bank lending could slow economic growth.

The fund, which aims to create a self-sustaining, nationwide secondary market for CDFI microloans, has made progress, but it remains far short of its goal, its managing director said.

Banks grappled with a litany of questions throughout earnings season about the likelihood of a recession and the potential for increased pressure on commercial real estate borrowers.

The 34-page document demands that the bank get regulatory nonobjection for every new fintech partnership and requires the bank to step up its monitoring of partners' compliance with banking laws.

BayFirst Financial, which says it lost $1.6 million when a planned Small Business Administration loan sale to Signature fell through, plans to file a claim for the lost revenue with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The Minneapolis bank has launched a special-purpose credit program that aims to help businesses owned by women, minorities and veterans. Borrowers with comparatively low credit scores and cash flows will qualify for lending products of up to $2.5 million.

The Oklahoma lender said its oil-and-gas portfolio remains a key source of stability and potential growth, despite weaker commodity prices.

At the two big banks, proposed phaseouts of lending for new fossil-fuel exploration drew less shareholder support on Tuesday than they did a year ago. The results were a blow to activists who want big banks to take stronger action to combat climate change.