Business Funding: Credit Unions Vs. Banks
As banks are cutting down on the number of business loans and making changes to the existing loans and lines of credit, many entrepreneurs are asking themselves - where can I get a business loan?
Before exploring, into more details, on how did Credit Unions become a player in business loans, let's see the make up of Credit Unions.
Major difference between banks and credit unions, this is something we should start with. Bank ownership comprises of investors and stock holders, while owners of the credit unions are their members, nonprofit cooperatives. It is residency or other requirements which determine eligibility to credit unions membership. Many of you probably did not know that credit unions are exempt from federal income tax. Entrepreneurs did not get loans for their business from credit unions until more recently, it was mainly home and car loans.
Although credit unions are allowed to play a role of small business lenders, their total lending capacity is limited by a federal law from 1998 when Congress capped the total business lending to 12,25 percent of credit unions assets. Many credit unions are now pushing the upper limits of same and are awaiting the results of bills pending in both the House and Senate to raise the cap to 27,5% of their assets.
Since credit unions don't have to pay federal income tax and are exempt from some other regulations banks, are, of course, trying to stop these bills. Bankers now have a good reason to raise their eyebrows as credit unions are taking over in the field and the cap raise would make them even stronger player. Banks are turning business down and credit unions are just jumping in for those businesses and this is the main reason why credit unions don't feel that they are stealing business from banks. As banks are divesting in loans or are modifying them, the credit unions are jumping in to fill in the gaps which banks left. The chances are that credit unions will step up and offer more business loans to merchants if it happens that the bills pass, the future of business lending is now in the hands of Senate and House as they are making a decision whether to raise the cap to 27,5 percent or not.
There is a caveat in all this, though! This is not a free pass to unlimited funds. Credit unions are, just as banks, cautious when it comes to lending . Credit unions are taking extra care and offer extra service to their members and you will need to be a CU member if you want to apply for a loan. Remember, though, that all the other customers are also members and the institution must look after their best interests as well. They might do what they can for the credit extension but never to CU members disadvantage.
This is why we are also enlisting some other types of alternate business funding:
- Tax Increment Financing (The subsidies vary from 20% to 30% of the project cost - depending on the state)
- Vendors (Suppliers)
- Friends and family members
- Bank loans
All in all, although there could be a lot more money available to small businesses in the not-so-distant future, through the Credit Unions, there still will be restrictions on these funds based on worth of your credit. For business that just don't have the stellar credit, some financial institutions will find a model to help them out with business loans and financing.





