May 19 2012
Business Funding: Credit Unions Vs. Banks
Getting a business loan is becoming more and more difficult as banks are cutting down on business lending is the number one question asked by entrepreneurs today is, where can I get a business loan ?
Let’s take a closer look at Credit Unions as today we are seeing them as more important factor when it comes to business loans.
First of all we need to see what are the key differences between credit unions and banks. Members of the credit unions are owners of the credit unions and shareholders and investors are owners of the banks. Credit unions establish different requirements for the membership qualification, it may be residency but is not limited to it. Many of you probably did not know that credit unions are exempt from federal income tax. Home loans and car loans were the major offer by credit unions to their members, it is only recently that credit unions started to offer loans to business.
Congress allowed credit unions to lend money to small business but the lending is capped to 12,25 percent of their assets (1998 federal law). Of course, limit of 12,25 total assets percentage is too small to make credit unions bigger player in the business lending field, but credit unions are pushing to raise that cap and there are bills pending in House and Senate which should raise that cap to 27,5 percent of their total assets.
Banks are vigorously opposed to the lifting of the cap because they feel that they are at a disadvantage to credit unions, which don’t have to pay federal taxes or are not subject to certain regulations. Passing these bills would make credit unions even a bigger player in the field so banks are strongly opposing them as, on the other hand, they are cutting down on their business lending. On the other hand, credit unions don’t feel like they are stealing business from the banks, but are underwriting loans the banks turned down. As banks are divesting in loans or are modifying them, the credit unions are jumping in to fill in the gaps which banks left. Needy merchants and business owners will definitely have another great lending source for their working capital if Senate and House pass the bill and allow credit unions to offer business loans in the amount which will be limited to 27,5 percent of their total assets.
There is a caveat in all this, though! This is not a free pass to unlimited funds. Business loans will not be approved so easily as one may expect. Credit unions will take an ‘eased’ approach to business when it comes to lending, you will have to be a member though, preferably for a longer period but this is not a prerequisite to ask for a loan. While approving your loan application credit union will never lose their best interest out of sight as all members share the faith of their union. They might do what they can for the credit extension but never to CU members disadvantage.
Some of the possibilities of getting a working capital and helping your business are listed here:
- Angel equity
- Bank loans
- Friends and family members
- Customers (Advance payments from customers)
Creditworthiness will continue to be the basis of the loan approval even with the credit unions, but there could be more money available for business lending in the future. If you have a bad credit, something can still be done, take a look at the video and our working capital loans offer.
















