Small business lending

The tricky part: raising awareness without appearing to take advantage of borrowers at a time when agencies like the SBA are out of commission.

Financial institutions of all sizes are offering low- or zero-rate loans, waiving fees and making other arrangements to aid federal workers — a practice that regulators officially blessed on Friday, the 21st day of the closing of many U.S. agencies.

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The American Bankers Association has called for an end to the government shutdown, saying it has prevented customers from securing loans and threatens even more damage.

The agency is unable to process loan applications and faces a daunting backlog once Washington returns to work.

Investments in software can speed up decision-making and help traditional lenders better compete with fintechs for creditworthy customers who want their loans quickly.

A state-backed bank would not be financially feasible because capital requirements would be too high and it likely wouldn’t return profits to the state for at least 30 years, consultants concluded.

The branch closures will reduce overhead by an estimated $1.9 million a year.

On Sept. 30, 2018. Dollars in thousands, except for average loan amount.

The online lender will roll out the business early next year with a focus on loans of less than $100,000.