• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. strategic reserves are getting so low the drawdown threatens to damage the 60 underground salt caverns storing American oil

2

A dropout living in a trailer, he got $1 million from Peter Thiel at 19—now he's a billionaire who says the American Dream isn't dead

3

Billionaire Gen Zer dropped out of high school to launch his startup at 17—now he’s the richest self-made 25-year-old in the U.K and all of Europe

1

U.S. strategic reserves are getting so low the drawdown threatens to damage the 60 underground salt caverns storing American oil

2

A dropout living in a trailer, he got $1 million from Peter Thiel at 19—now he's a billionaire who says the American Dream isn't dead

3

Billionaire Gen Zer dropped out of high school to launch his startup at 17—now he’s the richest self-made 25-year-old in the U.K and all of Europe

Banks may be lending too much

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 6, 2014, 7:13 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

FORTUNE — Some are worried that, at least in one part of the lending sector, we may now have the opposite of a crunch. Call it a credit stretch.

In the past three years, banks have upped their lending to businesses by $415 billion, according to Bankregdata.com. That increase is far larger than it is for any other lending category. Nearly two-thirds of the increase in lending since the financial crisis has been to businesses.

And the jump in business lending is nearing what we had in the run-up to the financial crisis. Back then, corporate credit rose by $456 billion over the course of three years to a peak of $1.5 trillion in the fall of 2008 — a peak that we are now past.

Banks had nearly $1.6 trillion in outstanding business loans at the end of 2013, and it is likely up from there. As a percentage, business lending is up 35% in the past three years. The next-fastest-growing category over the same period was auto loans, which some are worried about as well; that category was up by $70 billion, a 25% jump.

MORE: Expect another disappointing jobs report

At the nation’s biggest banks, business lending is up even more. Bank of America (BAC) has upped its corporate lending by 40% in the past three years.

On top of that, a record $1.5 trillion in corporate debt was sold to investors in 2013.

All told, U.S. corporations had $14.9 trillion dollars in debt at the end of last year, according to the Federal Reserve’s flow of funds data, which was released on Thursday. That’s up from just under $13 trillion four years ago.

“I am deeply worried about the potential risk of the recent massive growth in C&I [commercial and industrial] loans,” says Bill Moreland, who runs Bankregdata. “Massive amounts of new lending, regardless of type or lender, inevitably result in subsequent waves of increasing delinquencies.”

Regulators seem concerned as well. Starting in the middle of last year, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and the Federal Reserve began to question banks’ business-lending portfolios. Regulators are particularly concerned about business loans to less creditworthy borrowers. Rates have come down on so-called leveraged loans, and many now come with few restrictions on how much companies can borrow, what they can use the money for, and how much cash they have to hold in reserve.

MORE: Is the bond market rigged?

In part, the big jump in corporate lending is a result of the steep drop in the credit crunch. But the jump is odd given that loans to consumers have barely increased from the depths of the crisis.

Mortgage lending in 2013, for instance — by far the largest category of consumer debt — was up just under 3% since 2010. And most people expect home-lending activity to shrink in 2014. Credit card lending was up by just under 5%. Debt for new construction was down nearly 30%. Overall, bank lending remains weak. A key gauge of this market — loans to deposits — hit a new low at the end of 2013.

Still, it seems like good news that lending is up somewhere, unless, of course, the news is too good.

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    Most Popular

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.