Emergency loan program plagued by chaos on eve of launch; why Moven, one of the first challenger banks, is calling it quits; Fed faces conundrum on whether to remove Wells Fargo's asset cap; and more from this week's most-read stories.
The decision sparked outrage from small-business owners who have checking accounts with the bank but not loans or business credit cards. Bank of America started taking applications Friday for a $349 billion program that's intended to offer aid to small businesses suffering from the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic.
Yes, the Small Business Administration's emergency funding program for the coronavirus crisis is off to a rocky start, but that shouldn't stop banks from helping customers in need.
The $5.9 billion-asset Liberty Bank in Middletown had set aside $5 million to make small-dollar loans to customers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The agency proposed changes in December to how customer relationships affect the definition of brokered funds, which has big implications for banks that are not well-capitalized.
Nonbank financial firms spent years lobbying against tougher regulation and stricter capital requirements, arguing they didn't pose a risk to the financial system. Now, many of those companies say they are in desperate need of a bailout.