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Niche lending ideas: Green products and services
Community banks thrive in niche markets, and lending in new spaces is just one of the ways they serve their communities. As the market for “green” products and services evolves, we asked community...
First Women’s Bank tackles small business inequity
Dismayed at the lack of business ownership opportunities and advancement afforded to entrepreneurial women, Marianne Markowitz spearheaded a consortium to form a women-founded, women-owned and...
The benefits of micro-lending programs
Despite the large number of PPP loans distributed to small businesses, funding didn’t always reach those who needed it the most. These community banks are working to fix that through microlending...
The power of a CDFI
First Southwest Bank is carving out new business models to address a need for credit and financial services through nonprofit lending programs and software that leverages its community development...
The community banks standing by hospitality customers
Many hotels and other hospitality businesses haven’t fully bounced back from COVID-19 travel and safety restrictions, but community banks have been by their side through the challenges. Luckily,...
Overcoming banking hurdles for Native American customers
Native American customers on tribal lands have historically been redlined and ignored by the mainstream financial system. Native-owned community banks have been there to serve these communities by...
How Community Banks Are Navigating Lending Growth
Explore the 2026 lending landscape for community banks, including trends in CRE, SBA loans, consumer spending and credit quality monitoring.
The CFPB is Planning Sweeping Changes to Small Business Lending
Finastra’s SBDC module is a cloud-native solution that seamlessly integrates with Finastra’s retail lending products.