SBA

Wells Fargo fired more than 100 employees suspected of improperly collecting coronavirus relief funds, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Lenders welcomed the move as a helpful first step but are still urging policymakers to develop a broader, simpler process for expediting the approvals of loans extended to troubled small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program.

The Small Business Administration has been covering six months of principal, interest and fees for loans that existed on Sept. 27. There are concerns the moves are masking weaknesses in lenders' 7(a) portfolios.

To date, the Small Business Administration hasn’t acted on tens of thousands of applications that lenders have submitted since early August. However, it will begin doing so by early next week, an official says.

More than 500 JPMorgan Chase employees got assistance from taxpayers aimed at helping businesses through the pandemic — and dozens of them shouldn't have, according to people with knowledge of the firm's internal investigation.

Lenders are disappointed with a low proposed cutoff for blanket forgiveness, but they said the proposal, which waives applications for some loans, is a good first step.

U.S. banks and credit unions reported skyrocketing levels of suspected business-loan fraud last month, a period that coincided with growing awareness of scams involving government small-business aid programs.

It's been six weeks since the Paycheck Protection Program expired and banks started filing forgiveness applications on behalf of borrowers. So why isn't the Small Business Administration responding?

The 57 charges involve $175 million allegedly stolen from the small-business loan program. Defendants are accused of lying on their applications and using funds to buy cars, jewelry and other luxury items.

More than $1 billion in coronavirus relief went to small businesses that received multiple loans and a congressional subcommittee analyzing the Paycheck Protection Program says it has seen evidence of fraud in thousands more loans.