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While this shift is being framed primarily as a consumer credit development, it has important, and likely underestimated, implications for the business lending space. For lenders that rely on personal FICO scores as part of their underwriting process, especially when evaluating small business owners, this is a game-changer.

NewtekOne's credit facility expansion represents a calculated bet on continued growth in alternative lending demand. Success will depend on the company's ability to maintain underwriting discipline while scaling operations, execute efficient securitizations, and navigate potential market volatility.

Mastercard and Fiserv’s partnership over FIUSD isn’t a speculative venture; it’s a thoughtfully designed integration positioned to redefine digital transactions. By weaving stablecoins into daily commerce, they’re signaling that digital currency isn’t the future, it’s now.

Stephanie Hockridge and her husband, Nathan Reis, co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic panic. The platform was positioned as a rapid-response solution for distributing PPP funds to small businesses locked out of traditional banking channels. But according to federal prosecutors, Blueacorn became a machine of fraud, processing over $12.5 billion in loans while implementing virtually no guardrails to prevent abuse.

On Saturday, June 21, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 700 into law, setting the stage for a significant regulatory shift in how sales-based financing, including merchant cash advances (MCAs), can be offered in the state.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has once again delayed its compliance timeline for the Section 1071 rule under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, reflecting ongoing concerns over readiness, legal challenges, and operational impacts for small business lenders.

With deal sizes up to $5,000,000, Reliance Financial offers non-dilutive funding solutions by enabling businesses to sell a portion of their future revenues in exchange for immediate working capital. Known in the market for its honesty, transparency, and ease of doing business, Reliance has helped thousands of businesses secure flexible, fast, and responsible funding.

Discussing current regulatory news, including the important bill HB 700 in Texas and the 7(a) Loan Agent Oversight Act (H.R. 1804), the tech business loan brokers need to know about, and other best practices for brokers with Jerry Cocuzzo of FundAll Capital and John DiCanio of Fund My Biz.

Federal prosecutors continue their aggressive pursuit of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud, with two recent high-profile convictions demonstrating that the Department of Justice remains committed to holding fraudsters accountable nearly five years after the pandemic began.

Key Findings: The overall confidence index has plummeted from 7.8 in November 2024 to 6.02 in June 2025 Only 16% of employers believe the national economy is growing, a sharp decline from last year. SMB concerns are centered on inflation (55%), economic stability (55%), and recession fears (49%).

The Loan Agent Oversight Act mandates the SBA's Office of Credit Risk Management to submit an annual report to Congress. This report must detail: The number of agents assisting loan applicants. The number of fraudulent loans linked to agent involvement. Referral fees paid by lenders to agents. This initiative stems from findings that, in 2023 alone, the SBA's 7(a) program issued 47,700 loans totaling $25.7 billion, with $335 million identified as fraudulent due to loan ag

The crux of the law? North Dakota now has the authority to define these alternative finance products as “loans,” putting them under the same regulatory umbrella as traditional lenders. This includes licensing requirements and interest rate caps, up to 36% annually. What’s more, the state’s financial regulator, the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), has been granted the discretion to classify these products through administrative orders.