Oil is in the news and on everyone’s mind. Whether the news is about the latest oil spill or the cost of a barrel, everyone is talking about oil.

According to a recently released Wall Street Journal article, “U.S. government programs have yet to boost small business lending.”   Key Points from Article In 2008 and 2009, large banks that received government bailouts actually cut lending to small businesses. At the 22 largest banks to receive government bailouts, average small business loan balances fell 4.6% between April and November of 2009. Originations for new loans slid by 7.4%. Although government lending to small businesses may [...]

Opinions about the economic recovery are divided.  Some believe that we are on the road to a fast and strong recovery, while others feel that it will take time and due to consumers’ learning how to save and bargain-shop, the economy will never really be the same. According to an article titled, “Big Banks’ Small Business-Lending Promises,” which recently appeared in BusinessWeek, “…several of the nation’s largest lenders—including Wells Fargo, Bank of America and JPMorgan [...]