Commercial lending

No-interest loans and overdraft forgiveness are among the lifelines banks are offering to consumers and small businesses whose livelihoods are being upended by the economic fallout.

The agency will be tasked with providing $50 billion in loans to small businesses harmed by the pandemic. It is unclear whether the SBA will need bankers' help.

The move come a day after the Bank of England cut rates and introduced a series of emergency measures, including capital requirements and a lending program for smaller companies.

Banks may be protected from a direct hit, but they have invested in vehicles that include such loans, potentially exposing them to defaults.

Banks with the most exposure to oil and gas companies say they’ve added capital and changed their borrower mixes since the 2015 market fall. But skeptics question whether they can stave off losses if low prices endure.

Investors worry the drop in crude prices could spark a rash of defaults; the bank denies it opened accounts without customer permission to meet sales quotas.

There may only be so much institutions can do if the outbreak affects borrowers' ability to repay credit.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will have a busy week starting with Director Kathy Kraninger testifying before lawmakers on Tuesday.

Maybe Congress shouldn’t be so quick to change laws without real-world input.

With prices rising rapidly and loan terms increasing, some institutions may want to consider adding a leasing option to their auto loan portfolio.