Guidelines Seen Urging Loans but Without Mandate

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are expected today to unveil guidelines designed to encourage bankers to lend more freely, but critics are already saying the move will not prevent the credit crisis from worsening.

The guidelines are expected to avoid placing any new mandates on the industry, instead laying out what activities regulators expect banks to be engaging in. According to sources familiar with the guidelines, these expectations are broadly worded and include an outline of general principles of good banking.