Small business

It's liable to be an uphill climb as banks try to boost revenue and hold profit steady over the rest of the year. Here's why.

Loans tied to franchises were often an area of concern for banks before the financial crisis. Industry growth, improved credit metrics and a need to diversify commercial loan portfolios are prompting several banks to take a second look at the business.

Online marketplace lenders found themselves in the congressional crosshairs Tuesday just as some lawmakers are attempting to provide the industry with sought-after reforms.

The $25 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that BankUnited Small Business Finance is now making loans in Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin.

Charles Schwab Bank, BBVA Compass and Mechanics Bank are among the latest investors in a California microfinance firm that specializes in small-business lending.

American Express plans to debut an online loan platform for small-business clients this year, targeting territory occupied by startups like Square and On Deck Capital.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp is buying a bank with a national mortgage platform. The company hopes the business will provide a much-needed lift in fee income.

Kabbage is licensing its digital lending technology to one of Canada's largest banks, which plans to offer an online application process to small businesses.

A growing number of marketplace lenders and other fintech companies say they no longer use FICO scores or are using them in a limited way. The open question is whether their alternative methods will be more effective.

A megabank on the surface might not seem like the right fit for the financing needs of upstart craft breweries, but Bank of America's Brian Mulvaney has cooked up quite a niche business.

Small-business lenders are scrambling for financing to accommodate a possible real-estate-related borrowing surge once a key federal rule change takes effect next week.

The federal agency expressed skepticism about industry-developed standards Thursday, suggesting that there is currently no way to enforce the rules or punish bad actors.

Highlands Bancorp in Vernon, N.J., has raised $7.5 million to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

New Resource Bank has opened its first branch outside its home base of San Francisco with an eye toward furthering its green-lending mission.

The regional bank has extensively studied the viability of such platforms, but has been unable to develop a plan to fits its risk appetite.

How Eastern Bank pulled off something few community banks have: launching a digital lending product that the 197-year-old mutual dreamed up in its innovation lab.

At least three community banks have hired lenders who once worked at banks bought by BB&T. The question is whether those lenders can coax their clients to also make a switch.

Radius Bank in Boston has recruited a team to lead a national push into Small Business Administration lending. Among the new hires is Diane Gallion, a former executive at The Bancorp in Delaware, who will be national director of government-guaranteed lending at Radius.

CenterState in Florida and Union Savings in Connecticut are adding specialists to their retail locations at a time when many other banks are cutting back or have been relying heavily on universal bankers.

During the ascension of marketplace lending, banks responded to the competitive threat in several different ways. Now some banks are better positioned than others to take advantage of the online sector's recent woes.