Banking

There’s no reason to punish companies for failing to see a history-changing, once-in-a-century pandemic, or anticipate the shutdowns that would result.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said that $349 billion will likely not be enough meet loan demand from small businesses seeking a lifeline to help them weather the economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus outbreak.

ABS participants saw markets freeze and were bracing for worse when federal aid provide a short-term respite. The question now: How much trust can anyone put in the medium-term and beyond?

Many bankers find crucial parts of the SBA effort to help businesses hurt by the coronavirus outbreak to be unclear and onerous. If those issues go unresolved, participation could suffer.

For years, regulators have tried to make the financial system safer by blocking banks from taking on the extreme leverage that almost toppled the industry in 2008. Turns out, the risks just moved.

If Capitol Hill plans another round of stimulus, Democrats could have more leverage to demand steps such as suspending overdraft fees or placing a temporary cap on consumer lending rates.

The agency said lenders should avoid reporting delinquent payments to credit bureaus for consumers who have sought payment relief due to the pandemic.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria said a virus-induced financial crisis might give rise to more delinquencies and foreclosures than the 2007 subprime mortgage meltdown.

Speculative-grade borrowers are different because they made a conscious choice to take on more debt in the hopes of generating bigger returns for equity holders. They did this even though they knew it would make them more vulnerable in an economic downturn.

Weak demand for oil and gas, brought on by the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, has raised concerns of energy firms missing loan payments or even going bankrupt. Here’s how banks and regulators are trying to get ahead of potential problems.