Need Money … don’t … might … nah … well, maybe ….
Today there's constant bickering among advocates who claim that the banking community is unwilling to lend to small businesses, and those who say that small businesses won't need loans until…
Today there's constant bickering among advocates who claim that the banking community is unwilling to lend to small businesses, and those who say that small businesses won't need loans until…
You wouldn’t think it would be too hard to sort out whether this is no small business lending because there is no capital … or because small businesses aren’t asking. There’s a lot here so keep reading if you want to gain a better understanding of what’s REALLY going on.
The Wall Street Journal recently carried an article, Big Bank’s Lending Programs Yielding Few Results So Far, which summarizes efforts by big banks like Goldman Sachs Group, Citigroup and Bank of America, under pressure from the Obama Administration, to launch programs to increase lending to entrepreneurs. Most of these programs are Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI’s) – oh, great, another financial algorithm – which primarily lend to small businesses in low income areas – a worthy program but hardly a program targeted at the broad small business community.
Three days earlier in, A Credit Crunch That Lingers, the WSJ pointed out that only half of small businesses that tried to borrow last year got what they needed according to (more…)
No surprise that California's continuing budget problems resulted in a significant drop in funds available through the California Small Business Loan Guarantee program. Why? Because a chunk of its trust…
I wish had the time to write about all that’s on my mind about the SEC charges vs. Goldman. The crux of my most recent post was that institutional investors – not individual investors – have few excuses for making unsuccessful investment decisions except their own lack of due diligence or the fact that what they thought was a good decision … wasn’t.
I’m happy to see that Warren Buffett agrees as he told his rapt audience in his comments at Berkshire Hathaway’s recent annual shareholder’s meeting. Of one firm, ABN Amro, Mr. Buffett said: “It’s hard for me to get terribly sympathetic when a bank makes a dumb credit bet.” (more…)
When someone tells you no one saw it coming ... you can usually assume they mean "I" didn't see it coming. By now, many of you are familiar with the…