Small business lending

The program, created in response to the 2008 financial crisis, generated $19 billion in small-business loans. It could be used as a viable path out of the coronavirus pandemic.

Small banks are a lifeline for many local businesses and should be given first crack at distributing funds from a continuation of the federal stimulus program.

The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program is nearly depleted, but there are ways small banks and fintechs, with help from Congress, can remedy the situation.

Lawmakers are considering a plan to reserve Paycheck Protection Program funds for lenders with $50 billion in assets or less, a figure that would include nearly all credit unions.

Bank of America and U.S. Bancorp were also named in a lawsuit filed in Sunday in which the banks are accused of prioritizing large loans distributed through the Paycheck Protection Program in order to maximize fees.

Lawmakers are considering a plan to reserve at least $50 billion in Paycheck Protection Program funds for customers of community banks and small regionals.

From stimulus checks to the Paycheck Protection Program, the government’s infusion of cash into an economy reeling from the coronavirus pandemic has primarily helped those who already strong banking relationships.

Stress and exhaustion are catching up to lenders and call center employees helping customers grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

State and federal trade associations are calling on lawmakers to move past an impasse after the Paycheck Protection Program ran out of money in just two weeks.

The Small Business Administration stopped approving loans when the Paycheck Protection Program hit its cap.

The Small Business Administration stopped approving loans when the Paycheck Protection Program hit its cap.

Legislation announced Wednesday would allow credit unions to make coronavirus relief loans to businesses without fear of bumping up against the member business lending cap.

The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program is nearly depleted, but there are ways small banks and fintechs, with help from Congress, can remedy the situation.

Online lenders, core providers and software companies have created digital platforms that speed up and simplify Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

Bank’s earnings fall 69% in the first quarter; this week’s earnings reports could determine whether banks will need to suspend dividends.

PayPal, Intuit QuickBooks Capital and Square Capital have been named direct lenders in the Paycheck Protection Program, and more await the go-ahead. They could be crucial to reaching the smallest firms trying to survive the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic.

Just days after the Fed lifted Wells Fargo's asset cap so it could make more Paycheck Protection Program loans, it warned customers its queue is long and they may want to go elsewhere before program funds are exhausted.

After opening-day fiasco, SBA upgrades lender portal with Amazon assist; West Virginia’s First State Bank closed by regulators; BofA offers emergency loans to borrowers first, freezing out depositors; and more from this week’s most-read stories.

Bank of America, which came under fire for prioritizing applications from existing small-business customers, asked a federal judge in Baltimore to reject a request in a lawsuit to temporarily bar it from employing the practice.

The week-old Paycheck Protection Program will be opened up to sole proprietors and independent contractors on Friday.