Why Isn’t The SBA Loan Reaching The Most Needy?

​We ran out of money in just about two weeks after opening the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) $350 billion lending facility under the CARES Act. Several small businesses, especially the ones without existing business ties with the banks, could not get any funds under this program.

This happened at a time when there is an unprecedented level of liquidity in our financial system: The U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank have committed more than $6 trillion in the last few weeks to help our economy.

Their policy interventions are covering practically all critical parts of the financial market: treasury bonds, commercial papers, muni-bonds, mortgage-backed security, and several other credit markets. In an economic system with so much liquidity, why are small businesses struggling to get even a penny? The answer lies in the banker's incentives to lend.

​We need a better system that addresses these incentive issues, not merely more funds. Read more....

---