Commercial lending

The European Union is proposing rules that would make it easier for banks to sell off mortgages and reduce the amount of capital they must hold against certain bundled loans.

Citadel Credit Union is joining the small cadre of credit unions active in the Small Business Administration's biggest loan program as it seeks to expand in its small-business-rich footprint.

The Small Business Administration is implementing a freeze on new Community Advantage lenders, citing a surge in problem loans. The program grew during the previous administration as part of a push to expand the access that entrepreneurs who are members of disadvantaged groups have to capital.

Junk-rated companies and private equity firms have lined up about $17 billion of debt recently for purchases of everything from power plants to a chain of gas stations using 364-day bridge loans.

Federal Reserve Gov. Michael Barr said tariffs could have an outsize impact on small businesses and hardships could outlive the trade policy debate.

A 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs between the U.S. and China boosted the near-term economic outlook for banks, but tensions and uncertainty around trade barriers remain high.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will not enforce or supervise the 1071 small business lending rule, it announced in a press release. The rule requires collecting data on the race, ethnicity, gender and LGBTQ status of loan applicants.

The Small Business Administration is backing new legislation that would double the size limit on its manufacturing loans. Supporters say the bill has support on both sides of the aisle in Washington.

BCB Bancorp in Bayonne, New Jersey, swung to an $8.3 million loss in the first quarter due to a troubled cannabis loan. The crowded weed marketplace in the New York area is leading to tighter margins.

The growth of digital payments, coupled with the U.S.'s new open banking framework, may finally move the needle for an alternative form of credit decisioning.

Whether intentionally or not, regulatory incentives and punishments drive banks out of a lending market, to the detriment of the banking industry, consumers, American business and, in the long run, regulators themselves.

More than 1.4 million small businesses bank with U.S. Bank, according to the company, and it's now offering help with managing expenses and accepting payments.

As the risk of a recession rises, commercial real estate loans remain a major concern for banks and industry participants. One observer asked: "Is '25 the year where sellers start to capitulate, call a loser a loser, and move on?"

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in a court filing that it will repropose a rule requiring lenders to report small-business loan data, citing legal challenges.

The top five banks had a combined commercial real estate loan volume of more than $482 billion at the end of the fourth quarter.

In a speech, the Federal Reserve governor called for policies that would impose Truth In Lending-like disclosure requirements on lenders' products that cater to small businesses.

It's been rare for a fintech to win regulatory approval to become a bank, with none receiving approval under President Joe Biden and only a few successfully obtaining charters before that.

The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index is down more than 7% year to date. Analysts blame confusion caused by President Trump's evolving tariff policies and heightened worries about an economic downturn that could hurt banks' credit quality.