Commercial lending

It's a fickle industry, given the uncertainty over the Affordable Care Act and government reimbursements, but opportunities in lending to medical practices and device manufacturers make it hard to resist, bankers say.

It bothered Jeannie Tarkenton, founder of Funding University, that too many kids from lower-income families didn't graduate because they lacked just a few thousand dollars and couldn't get a loan.

Private equity firms are making loans to midsize businesses and online banks are winning deposits by paying 2% interest; Goldman hires a veteran M&A banker.

Good credit analysts are in short supply, says David Nicholson, a senior VP of commercial lending at a community bank. But fair warning for job seekers: Only dogged questioners who can think critically need apply, because vetting business borrowers is as much art as science.

Joe Baratta, Blackstone’s global head of private equity, said that he was drawn to the Sacramento, Calif., company because he believes its technology offers lenders a more efficient way to find customers.

Good old-fashioned commercial credit analysts are a dying breed, David Nicholson says. Community banks need them to stay competitive in C&I, but training courses have been cut back. So he’s on a mission to teach as many students as he can.

The online lender’s president, Steve Allocca, shares how the company weathered scandal and hints at future plans to grow its product set.

Forty credit unions participated in the study, which led to nearly $85 million in loans over the course of 18 months.

The company says several banks and credit card issuers are interested in data sharing; rates may go even higher when corporate borrowers need to refinance.

The marketplace lender recorded an impairment charge tied to the acquisition of a specialty lending business and is still being hit with costs stemming from the scandal that toppled its previous CEO.

The online small-business lender was aided by loan growth, wider margins and stable credit trends. Its shares surged by 25% after second-quarter earnings were announced.

The bureau wants to encourage more innovation without the threat of enforcement, but observers say regulators also need a testing ground to prove they can regulate fintech.

The central bank's survey of loan officers said banks are easing their credit standards for commercial and industrial loans as competition heats up.

If President Trump’s tariffs on steel and other products stay in place long, big U.S. importers would be hurt and pass on the pain to their midsize and small-business suppliers — which are the bread and butter of commercial lending.

Fintech firms have the federal option they have long sought, but meeting the agency’s application requirements will not be easy.

The state follows Colorado’s lead in adopting reforms pushed by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The announcement follows a news report that said it routinely and without notification charged higher rates than it initially quoted.

More than 137,000 credit union members will now have access to the online car-buying program.

The company defended its prices for currency conversions after a report said employees boosted rates for some business customers without notifying them.

On Mar. 31, 2018. Dollars in thousands.