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It’s Fed day once again in the U.S., and the prognosticators put high odds that the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates another quarter-point – possibly the last hike for a while. The economic data has been pretty mixed, with U.S. GDP clearly slowing – a sign the central bank’s aggressive monetary policy is having an impact – but inflation has barely budged. What’s more, another regional bank collapsed on Monday as regulators seized control of First Republic and sold it to the biggest financial institution in the U.S., JPMorgan Chase.
But another rate hike could be bad news for businesses, particularly small ones, which are beginning to feel the pinch of tightening credit standards as a result of higher interest rates and other issues. Some reports suggest they are already facing a credit crunch.
I’ve been wondering just how important access to credit is for small companies, so I asked Brian Blank of Mississippi State and Brandy Hadley of Appalachian State to lay down some facts and describe current credit conditions. The finance scholars see reason for optimism in the numbers.
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Bryan Keogh
Deputy Managing Editor and Senior Editor of Economy and Business, The Conversation U.S.
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D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University; Brandy Hadley, Appalachian State University
Concerns about a decline in lending to small businesses are growing as the Fed is expected to raise rates for the 10th time in a little over a year.
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Technology
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Renaud Foucart, Lancaster University
Transparency and accountability must be a priority to prevent discrimination.
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Companies
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Sean Dodson, Leeds Beckett University
Digital only commercial news websites still struggle for revenue streams.
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Environment
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Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Mend Mariwany
Older imported cars pose risks to motorists and spew pollution. Some countries, including Ghana, are taking steps to limit the harms of this piece of the vehicle life cycle.
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Consumers
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Robin Dodson, Boston University; Megan R. Schwarzman, University of California, Berkeley; Ruthann Rudel, Northeastern University
Manufacturers don’t usually have to disclose what’s in products like shampoo and household cleaners, but a new study finds that these products can contain hazardous ingredients.
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Marketing
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Simon Chadwick, SKEMA Business School; Paul Widdop, Manchester Metropolitan University
It’s not just Premier League clubs that enjoy the benefits of being in the spotlight.
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Labor
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Kelsey Pukelis, Harvard Kennedy School
A team of economists looked at what happened after Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements were reinstated in Virginia in 2013.
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