Commercial lending

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.

Forecasters on an American Bankers Association panel predict continued economic growth this year, though they say President Trump's tariffs have created new inflation and recession risks.

Concentrating in narrow specialties can attract both relatively low-cost deposits and low-risk loans in an era of high interest rates and economic uncertainty, lenders say.

The Connecticut bank expects to report a $9.5 million net loss for the fourth quarter, but it said it's made headway in its efforts to cultivate investors and bolster its capital levels.

The New York-based institution tapped the former Republic First CEO to help oversee its transformation from a predominantly multifamily lender into business bank.

The New York-based fintech's high-tech initiative is the centerpiece of an initiative aimed at capitalizing on an expected surge in small business lending activity.

A federal magistrate judge is recommending that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small business lending data collection rule be upheld, rejecting a challenge by merchant cash advance lenders.

Small lenders produced net interest margin expansion in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to interest rate cuts in the second half of 2024. Festering inflation, however, threatens to lead to rate increases that could stall their momentum.

A federal appeals court in Texas has delayed the implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small-business data reporting rule slated to go into effect in July. How the Trump administration proceeds from here could be instructive on its approach to other CFPB rules.

Oil and gas companies are borrowing to invest in more drilling and new processing facilities to meet rising global needs for U.S. fossil fuels. Several banks said energy loan demand is expected to strengthen further this year.