Small business lending

About 40% of smaller firms applied for private-sector financing last year, which was up from 25% in 2021, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve banks. The results suggest a return to pre-pandemic credit needs, but borrowers now have different plans for the use of financing.

The small businesses said in a lawsuit that the bank used "misleading marketing and business practices" to rake in processing fees from oversized Paycheck Protection Program loans. A bank spokesperson placed responsibility on PPP borrowers for the representations they made in loan applications.

The lending software and shared services provider was created by bankers for bankers.

A new Risk Management Association survey found that 84% of small lenders cite credit quality as a leading worry for 2023 because of the likelihood of a recession.

Banks and other lenders revived special-purpose credit programs after racial-equity protests in 2020 prompted them to reexamine their services for historically underserved groups. Now they're taking those initiatives nationwide.

The Paycheck Protection Program proved successful in providing small-business owners with funds to keep workers employed — but it was also a magnet for criminals. Here is a rundown of fraud probes, prosecutions and potential long-term consequences for commercial lending.

In a new survey, executives at banks and credit unions registered the highest level of anxiety about a forthcoming data-collection rule in small-business lending.

The Small Business Administration must be prepared to effectively oversee any new lenders it allows in its flagship 7(a) loan guarantee program to guard against fraud and other risks, Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Small Business Committee warned.

The institution's Impressia Bank will be dedicated to the professional and financial advancement of women business owners and entrepreneurs.