American Banker's 2025 Small Business Banking conference yielded lessons about the need for speed, simplicity and safety in small-business lending. Other key takeaways included the significance of digital payment options and the importance of continuing to process SBA loan requests during the government shutdown.

Brian McEvoy, chief retail banking officer at Webster Five in Central Massachusetts, says community banks are in a unique position to serve more small businesses. He was a speaker Tuesday at American Banker's 2025 Small Business Banking conference.

In an environment of persistent economic unease, banks have a unique opportunity to help small businesses, Sekou Kaalund, U.S. Bank's head of branch and small business banking, said at American Banker's 2025 Small Business Banking conference.

Supplies of the one-cent coin have fallen faster than expected, causing headaches for cash businesses and the lenders that provide them with change.

A Small Business Administration policy enacted during the second Trump administration blocks not only people who are in the country illegally, but also legal temporary residents and even some U.S. citizens, from accessing government-guaranteed loans.

Execs say other banks are still more of a rival for deposits than the digital currency.

Industry veteran Chris Ward has been tapped to lead the Canadian bank's new U.S. small-business banking department. "It's absolutely a growth opportunity," he said.

The digital bank had previously notified about 1,000 business customers that they would lose access to their debit cards for a week, amid a systems update.

A pair of surveys released in June indicates that small-business owners have growing confidence, while startup activity and SBA lending are demonstrating continued strength.

Small businesses are essential to the ongoing prosperity of the United States, but they are not well served by the country's largest banks. For everyone's sake, that needs to change.

The STATES 2.0 Act, currently pending in Congress, would go a long way toward giving banks confidence that they can provide services to legal cannabis businesses without putting themselves in legal jeopardy.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will not enforce or supervise the 1071 small business lending rule, it announced in a press release. The rule requires collecting data on the race, ethnicity, gender and LGBTQ status of loan applicants.

Banks that think they can compete in the stablecoin space are making a huge mistake. The smart move would be to upgrade infrastructure to allow assets to move between banks and crypto accounts seamlessly.

Small-business owners will be given the option to tap into anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 in financing.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

More than 1.4 million small businesses bank with U.S. Bank, according to the company, and it's now offering help with managing expenses and accepting payments.

The suburban Atlanta banks, both of which specialize in lending to Korean-American businesses, plan to merge in a $206 million cash-and-stock deal.

The company lets business owners comingle personal and business finances in one app.