Small business lending

At a forum convened by the CFPB, several bank and fintech executives argued that long-delayed rules required under the Dodd-Frank Act can help fight discrimination and shine a light on unsavory practices in the market for small-business credit.

The acquisition of Radius Intelligence fits with the online lender's existing focus on small commercial borrowers.

The online SME lender is marketing $198.45 million in notes backed by U.S. originations. Funding Circle has previously issued ABS deals backed by small-business loans in its native UK.

The decision is a blow to OnDeck, which said Monday that it intends to pursue a bank charter, either by applying for one or by buying a bank.

The global alternative asset manager is buying a majority stake in the investment advisory of CM Finance, which lends and makes equity investments in middle-market companies.

The agency's spring rulemaking agenda includes the process for collecting small-business data as well as underwriting rules for GSE-backed loans. But what's missing from the list may be just as important.

Farmers were already taking on more debt to cover losses from falling crop prices. New tariffs and other retaliatory moves could hurt ag borrowers further and lead to loan losses and tighter underwriting.

The online small-business lender said it tightened its underwriting standards during the first quarter as credit quality worsened.

Instead the online lender will refer commercial prospects to two partner companies as it seeks to focus on its core personal lending business.

The findings of a new survey suggest that banks risk becoming irrelevant unless they match the speedier processes that are a key selling point for online lenders.