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

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
FinanceSmall Business Administration

Bank of America is the first big bank to accept SBA Paycheck Protection Program loan applications

Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 3, 2020, 10:44 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Small businesses are desperate to access loans. But there’s a problem: Most banks aren’t ready to lend.

On Friday, the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program loan applications were expected to be open and ready for small businesses across the country to get emergency, forgivable loans—intended to help them retain employees amid the COVID-19 crisis.

But as of Friday morning, only one big bank managed to start accepting applications: Bank of America.

The Brian Moynihan-led bank launched its portal for the small-business loans on Friday, going live at about 9 a.m. ET. Yet even BofA’s rollout perplexed some customers, as the bank is prioritizing existing customers with online accounts who are active borrowers as of last month.

@Hugh_Son @BankofAmerica @SBAgov #ppp #fail Really? BofA – your records are wrong. I have 4 small business checking accounts with you since 6/2014. 12 current employees. pic.twitter.com/C4aNn7I6KQ

— George Anderson (@twitchis4) April 3, 2020

Fortune reached out to Bank of America for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

CEO Moynihan said on CNBC that the bank would initially focus on “borrowing clients.” “We have to focus on the borrowing clients to make sure we can take care of them,” he said. Bank of America reportedly since noted it was adjusting its policy to address all small-business customers, but some customers report still being unable to access the application. The bank has reportedly already received nearly 60,000 PPP loan applications worth $6 billion since 9 a.m. ET Friday morning.

This morning, the other of the big four banks—JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo—hadn’t yet managed to begin accepting applications on Friday morning. JPMorgan Chase’s website initially told customers that “We aren’t accepting applications for this program at this time. Check back for updates,” but has since started accepting applications by midday Friday. Wells Fargo also told customers online to “check back often” and that “As soon as we can start accepting applications, we’ll add the link to the online application.”

But the failure-to-launch wasn’t a huge surprise. Ken Logsdon, a partner at international law firm Dorsey & Whitney, told Fortune on Thursday: “I would be absolutely shocked if it gets rolled out [Friday].”

Banks have been harried by the SBA and Treasury Department to get applications up and running, but many still had concerns over how the lending process would logistically work as late as Thursday evening (when more guidelines finally arrived in the form of a 31-page document from the SBA and Treasury at around 7 p.m. ET). The new guidelines came “literally hours before [the process] starts,” Richard Hunt, head of the Consumer Bankers Association, told CNBC Thursday. He added that banks are moving “heaven and earth to get a system in place and running to help America’s small businesses and the millions of men and women who work at them.” And those like Wells Fargo and Citigroup seem to still be moving heaven and earth to launch their programs.

That’s why Dorsey & Whitney’s Joseph Lynyak, who specializes in the banking and financial services industry, believes “this is kind of a work in progress, in that it’s almost changing on a daily basis,” he told Fortune on Thursday.

Worse, some small businesses are worried that even if banks do get the loans up and running, it might not be enough. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed this sentiment on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street on Friday, saying that “it’s not enough.” Added Pelosi: “Let’s do what we just agreed to, except make it more current.”

While many small businesses await the other big four banks to launch portals (or their community banks or credit unions), they may have to wait still longer to actually get the money from the loan.

Given how banks “are being inundated with applications,” notes Lynyak, “I would personally be really surprised if money is going to be flowing before the end of May.”

More must-read finance coverage from Fortune:

—What small businesses applying for SBA PPP loans need to know
—Everything you need to know about the coronavirus stimulus checks
—Social distancing creates $8 trillion in economic benefits, study says
—Everything you need to know about furloughs—and what they mean for workers
—Millions won’t be able to pay their bills this month. What financial experts advise
—Listen to Leadership Next, a Fortune podcast examining the evolving role of CEOs
—WATCH: The U.S. tax deadline was pushed from April 15 to July 15

Subscribe to Fortune’s Bull Sheet for no-nonsense finance news and analysis daily.

About the Author
Anne Sraders
By Anne Sraders
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

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

‘It’s called StreetEasy, not StreetHard’: Mamdani cracks down on scourge of ‘housefishing’ and ‘real estate slop’
Real EstateHousing
‘It’s called StreetEasy, not StreetHard’: Mamdani cracks down on scourge of ‘housefishing’ and ‘real estate slop’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
As Washington panics about Chinese AI, Jensen Huang says open-source models like Kimi are ‘excellent’ and should be embraced, not banned
AIChina
As Washington panics about Chinese AI, Jensen Huang says open-source models like Kimi are ‘excellent’ and should be embraced, not banned
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
Man holding his hands open
InvestingStock
A new group of stocks is transforming global equities markets. Meet ‘Memi,’ the $3 trillion sector fueled by AI’s insatiable hunger for memory chips
By Amanda GerutJuly 22, 2026
6 hours ago
Scott Bessent speaks inside the Oval Office.
EconomyU.S. Department of the Treasury
Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 22, 2026
7 hours ago
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to US President Donald Trump in front of a window.
EconomyDonald Trump
Carney and Trump agree to speed up trade negotiations a day after Trump puts a 50% tariff on Canadian goods
By The Associated Press and Jim MorrisJuly 22, 2026
7 hours ago
Trump Accounts draw 6.5 million sign-ups, but some families are still waiting on the promised $1,000 funding
InvestingDonald Trump
Trump Accounts draw 6.5 million sign-ups, but some families are still waiting on the promised $1,000 funding
By The Associated Press and Moriah BalingitJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
3 days ago

© 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.