Small business

Now the question is: will online portals become a significant source of financing for U.S. small businesses, or will red tape get in the way?

Antonio Weiss, a counselor to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, called Thursday for greater transparency in the pricing of online small-business loans.

Women who own small businesses are happier with their banking experiences than their male counterparts are, according to a study by J.D. Power released Thursday.

Wells Fargo has eliminated foreign transaction fees for transactions made by small businesses made outside the U.S.

"At some point there will probably be a government agency telling us to do this. So why not start now?" says MultiFunding CEO Ami Kassar.

Customers Bancorp in Wyomissing, Pa., is building an online borrowing experience for its small-business clients.

The ease of comparing rates online will make it hard for industry pioneers like Lending Club and OnDeck to keep generating high-margin loans, some observers believe.

OnDeck Capital, Lending Club, Funding Circle and Kabbage in the last week have all announced moves designed to boost their loan volumes.

Community banks, frustrated that online and email marketing often gets overlooked, are trying to get people to engage with local businesses in hopes of landing more clients.

The pioneering online lender Kabbage has raised $135 million in new equity financing, with three large multinational banks among the lead investors, the company announced Wednesday.