Hundreds of bankers and credit union executives are seeking exemptions and changes to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposal to collect race, ethnicity and gender information about small-business borrowers that they describe as burdensome and unworkable.

Both traditional financial institutions and neobanks — including NorthOne, Novo and BMO Harris Bank — are developing technology to meet the needs of younger small-business owners.

Newity was founded to buy and administer Paycheck Protection Program loans. Now that the program has ended, the company is teaming with a bank on a platform that offers Small Business Administration 7(a) loans.

Faster payments would help the economy in general and individuals and small businesses in particular. It's time for banks to step up.

To strengthen ties with entrepreneurs, Citizens Bank of Edmond in Oklahoma and the de novo Genesis Bank in California offer co-working, education and other resources.

Technology that Biz2Credit used to help certified public accountants obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans for their clients is being updated to offer term loans to small-business owners.

Kabbage and other firms are extending credit to fund higher salaries at the small merchants that are struggling to hire new employees.

A few changes to underwriting rules could result in a huge opportunity for both lenders and minority women who own businesses.

Startups in the U.S. and Canada are emphasizing features such as virtual issuance and receipt capture in creating expense cards for business owners.

Republicans on the House Small Business Committee question the wisdom of having the Small Business Administration depart from its traditional model of backing loans made by private-sector lenders. But agency Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman says the plan is necessary to fill "large gaps" in credit availability to the smallest companies.