Skip to main content

SBA partners with credit unions to boost Main Street

By Natalia Olson-Urtecho | Feb 27, 2015

Two out of every three new, private sector jobs are created by small businesses, making them unique cornerstones of America and the backbone of our economy. That’s why it’s so important for small businesses to have access to capital to start and grow their businesses.

To help bridge credit gaps, we at the U.S. Small Business Administration are partnering with credit unions. Credit unions in the mid-Atlantic region are incredibly important because they are community-based and mission focused. They help their members finance cars, homes, education, and of course, small businesses!

With this partnership we’re engaging 250 credit unions to approve at least 10 loans of $50,000 or less, injecting over $125 million into the small business economy. The economic influence of this partnership cannot be overstated. There are nearly 6,800 federally insured credit unions with over 100 million members and around $1 trillion in assets.

Additionally, this partnership meets our mandate of being “Smart, Bold, and Accessible” since small-dollar loans do not count toward the credit unions’ business loan cap. This provides flexibility to distribute small-dollar loans, which will increase access to capital to communities and fire up local economies.

This partnership is one of the many ways SBA is dedicated to creating jobs and tapping into America’s full entrepreneurial potential. We know that for those who dream big, work hard, and play fair to achieve the American Dream with the SBA, the possibilities are limitless!

Along with President Obama, we’re committed to moving America forward by making it easier for entrepreneurs to access fundamental tools and resources to start and grow new businesses. When we strengthen small businesses, we’re driving the overall economy, and increasing opportunities to small business owners and the middle class.

SBA has taken additional steps to boost small-dollar lending, which will also bolster our credit union partnership. We’ve streamlined credit evaluations by revising credit criteria for SBA 7(a) small dollar loans and we’ve zeroed out fees on small-dollar loans ($150,000 or less), making it easier for entrepreneurs to access capital by cutting costs and time.

So connect with your local credit union, and ask them to stay tuned for further details from SBA. For now, visit www.sba.com/local to learn more about how you can gain access to capital to jumpstart your business.

Natalia Olson-Urtecho
U.S. Small Business Administration Mid-Atlantic regional administrator

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

NCOFCU Newsletter

The Bucket Coach is a financial advice book designed by Fire Services Credit Union, Tronto, Canada. and written exclusively for Fire Fighters It's a practical guide for household financial management, including investments, credit and mortgages, and retirement. Developed with contributions from Fire Fighters," NCOFCU Newsletter : " Kevin Connolly Chief Executive Officer    Fire Services Credit Union Phone: 416-440-1294 ext 301  Toll Free: 1-866-833-3285 E-mail:  kevin@firecreditunion.ca 1997 Avenue Rd Toronto, ON M5M 4A3 
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reading - What is the Dow Jones?

    What is the Dow Jones? Created in 1896, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is one of the world’s oldest and most widely recognized stock indexes—a measure tracking the stock performance of a selected group of companies ( see most recent data ). Originally designed to track America’s leading industrial firms, the Dow has evolved into a cultural and financial shorthand for the health of the US economy. As of 2025, it measures 30 major companies —like McDonald's, Boeing, and Nike—across sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, and consumer goods.  Unlike most modern indexes, which are weighted by the total value of a company’s shares, the DJIA uses a price-weighted formula —meaning stocks with higher share prices exert more influence, regardless of company size. The DJIA has been updated 59 times since its creation to reflect changes in the US economy ( see ch...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

New from AutoLink

New from AutoLink
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Powell Rejects Any Plan for Fed to Intervene in Secondary Market to Bring Down Rates

  Frank Diekmann October 20, 2025 2:22 am No Comments PHILADELPHIA–Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said there are no plans for the central bank to directly intervene in secondary mortgage markets in an attempt to help bring down mortgage rates, an idea some have proposed as a means of addressing the affordability crisis In housing. Jerome Powell Speaking at the  National Association for Business Economics  conference in Philadelphia, Powell spoke to the Fed’s progress with “quantitative tightening,” that is, its work to reduce the more than $6 trillion of securities it holds on its  balance sheet . Read more about the Balance Sheet HERE Those holdings include approximately $2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which are bundles of home loans that are packaged together and sold to investors, usually by middlemen  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , noted Realtor.com. Rolling Off Balance Sheet As the report noted, the Fed dramatically increased M...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

How Stablecoins Could Prove to Be Anything But Stable for CUs That Don’t Get Moving

LOST PINES, Texas–With the GENIUS Act enacted and the countdown on for NCUA and regulators to get rules in place for stablecoins, credit unions were told it’s “go time” to begin preparing for a new technology that could “eat the lunch” of interchange. The cautionary words came from  Dr. Lamont Black , an associate professor at the Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University, where among other things he teaches a graduate course on cryptocurrency, and who is also a fellow in Filene’s Credit Union of the Future Center of Excellence, and who s well-known to many in credit unions for his work and insights.  After several years of speaking to credit unions on crypto, he told  Catalyst Corporate’s  Strategic Summit meeting he has pivoted now due to the rapid change taking place, and in addition to talking about AI (see separate reporting in the CU Daily), he has a warning for CUs when it comes to another emerging technology. Eating the Lunch of Payments “I believe st...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

The Role and Hazards of an Interim Executive

  The Role and Hazards of an Interim Executive Leadership transitions are rarely smooth. A change at the top can trigger uncertainty, speculation, and anxiety. Staff worry about their jobs, members wonder about continuity, and boards feel the weight of stewarding the organization through uncertain change. The utilization of an interim executive director is meant to stabilize the organization and allow the board enough space and capacity to find the right successor leader. Here’s a catch: if an interim executive is also a candidate for the successor role, the very purpose of an interim engagement is compromised. With an Interim, there’s always a second wave of anxiety Every leadership transition comes with some anxiety. The staff sometimes don’t know what’s going on. The board is worried about continuity, and members may be worried about joining. One task of an interim is to absorb some of that anxiety and provide reassurance that things are moving forward. But there is al...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Your Credit Union CAN Use Public Fund Deposits To Fund Assets

By Corporate One Federal Credit Union Once largely thought of as taboo, the use of external funding is now widely accepted throughout the credit union industry. In fact, the NCUA has required all credit unions to seek multiple liquidity sources and document those sources in their liquidity policy. As the acceptance of external funding has improved, credit unions are increasingly sourcing funds from many channels, including the Federal Home Loan Bank System, the corporate credit union network, and several non-member deposit channels, such as public fund deposits. Yes, public fund deposits are being increasingly sourced to fund credit union assets. Increasing Growth, Benefits, And Uses Total member and non-member government deposits totaled $5.4 billion at year-end 2017. This is an increase of 27% since 2015. While this amount pales in comparison to total deposits and other liabilities, how important are these deposits to the nearly 500 credit unions who report them?...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union to construct new Fort Wayne headquarters

Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union announced Wednesday plans to break ground next month on a headquarters at North Clinton Street and Penn Avenue. The project will cost about $13 million, a spokesman said through email. The new building will have about 22,000 square feet, including a full-service branch, to accommodate the credit union’s growth in recent years. The credit union has more than 11,300 members at six branches in Fort Wayne and New Haven and has experienced a 7% membership increase over the last five years, the news release said. The credit union’s assets have grown about 46%. “As our membership continues to grow, it’s essential that we grow with it,” Diane Scherer, president and CEO of the credit union, said. The new headquarters represents the credit union’s “ongoing commitment to providing exceptional service,” expanding its capabilities and investing in the future, she said. “We’re excited to build a space that reflects our values and enhances the experience f...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reading - What is the Erie Canal?

  Gateway to the West     What is the Erie Canal? The Erie Canal is a 363-mile waterway in New York connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic seaboard, from the Hudson River at Albany to Lake Erie at Buffalo ( see map ). Initiated in 1817 for $7M (nearly $200M today), the canal was America’s first major infrastructure project and revolutionized trade and commerce in the United States. The project relied on self-taught amateurs —including teachers, judges, and surveyors. The workers, nearly 50,000, dug the entire canal with hand tools, picks, and gunpowder (dynamite had not yet been invented). The original Erie Canal had 83 locks, each designed to be...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Zelle Says It Will Allow Users to Make International Payments Using Stablecoins

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz .–   Zelle  has announced plans to allow users to start making international payments using stablecoins. The move by Early Warning Services, which operates the P2P payments network Zelle and which is owned by a consortium of large banks, comes in the wake of the passage of the GENIUS Act, which is designed to usher stablecoins into the regulated financial system. Stablecoins are a digital currency that is pegged to a fiat currency such as the U.S. dollar. As the CU Daily reported  here , credit unions were strongly urged during an event last week to not just start paying attention to stablecoins but to begin taking action as interchange income is threatened. Similarly, analysts said the move by Zelle to help users move money across borders is a defensive move in response to what is expected to be the growing use of stablecoins by consumers and businesses. Early Warning Services did not indicate how it would work or when it would launch, according to sever...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»