Smart Borrower Blog

Archive for the ‘Business Borrowing’ Category

Banks Loosen Standards on Commercial Loans

Large banks are making sweeter deals on their commercial business loans as they compete with one another to bring back loan growth, according to a report from the regulatory Office the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Commercial loan growth fell significantly during the Recession but had come back up to 12% by 2013. Then unexpectedly and […]

Small Business Borrowing Climbs for 5th Straight Month

U.S. small businesses took out more loans in February, according to data from small business information provider PayNet, a sign of greater confidence in the economy even as loan delinquencies rose slightly. The Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index jumped to 144.8 in February, up 1.0% from January and 12% from the previous years. It […]

Fed Hikes Interest Rate to Highest Level in a Decade

With the economy pushing forward, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its target interest rate once again, pushing it to the highest level since 2008. During its March 21 meeting, the Fed increased its federal funds rate to 1.75%, up from 1.5%. Rates still remain well below the historical average of 5%. “The […]

Study: Companies That Use Business Loans From the Start Are More Successful

Small businesses that borrow small business loans are much more likely to survive and be successful than those that don’t, according to a new study. Those who start funding their companies immediately with personal loans are much less likely to do well. The study was produced by finance professors Rebel Cole of Florida Atlantic University […]

Business Loan Approvals Rise as Optimism Soars

Large and small U.S. banks approved a greater percentage of business loan applications in January, according to new data from Biz2Credit.com. At the same time, small business owners are feeling more optimistic than ever about the economic environment. “Despite some recent bumps, the economy has done well during President Trump’s first year in office, and […]

Business Borrowing Demand Rises in 3rd Quarter, Supply Remains Subdued

The U.S. economy is making consistent progress, causing more business owners to seek loans to grow their companies but the supply of credit is not keeping pace. According to the quarterly small business survey from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management and Dun & Bradstreet Corp. released last week, demand for business financing […]

Small Business Loan Approvals by Big Banks Hit Post-Recession High

America’s big banks approved 25% of all small business loan requests in October, according to data from Biz2Credit, the highest level since the end of the Great Recession. The Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index rose two-tenths of a percent from 24.8% in September. One year ago, the approval rate among big banks (those with $10 billion […]

Small Business Loan Approvals Hit Post-Recession High

Big and small banks alike approved record numbers of small business loan applications in July, according to data from Biz2Credit.com, a sign of stronger confidence in the economy. The Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index showed that big banks (those with $10 billion or more in assets) approved almost a quarter (24.5 percent) of all loans […]

Small Business Borrowing Hits High As Economy Grows

Small business borrowing in the U.S. picked up in May rising to an 11-month high, according to new data, a good sign that demand is increasing and that small firms are feeling more confident about the economic environment. The Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index, a measure of small business loan volume, increased to 137 […]

Federal Reserve Raises Rates to 9-Year High

The Federal Reserve increased its target interest rate to a range of 1 percent to 1.25 percent Wednesday, the first time in nine years the rate has been over 1 percent. The rise could affect everything from credit card rates to mortgage loans to savings rates. As promised, the Fed raised rates for the second […]