News & Press

Welcome to Accion Opportunity Fund’s new blog series on the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB is a federal agency that acts as a buffer for consumers against financial fraud and abuse. It has come under heavy scrutiny in recent months. Accion Opportunity Fund recognizes that many of our clients and stakeholders benefit from…

Earlier this month, Accion Opportunity Fund responded to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) request for comments on their proposal to offer a national special purpose charter to non-bank institutions.

Earlier this month Accion Opportunity Fund submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regarding their proposed rule on payday, vehicle title, and certain high-cost installment loans.

On the heels of the Great Recession, a new breed of “alternative” lenders has emerged to offer small businesses much-needed access to credit. These new lenders are filling a void created after banks dramatically cut back on their lending to small businesses.

Accion Opportunity Fund is proud to participate in the EntrepreneurTracker Outcomes Survey to measure outcomes of our work.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently announced their two year policy priorities, which include this vision statement about small business lending.

As a lender on the frontlines of the small business finance revolution, Accion Opportunity Fund has been calling attention to predatory lending practices for some time now. Because many of these concerning products are designed to avoid existing regulations, there is a need for policymakers to step in.

Over the weekend, California Governor Brown signed into law SB 197, which increases access to affordable capital for California’s 3.6 million small and microbusiness owners.

Ten years ago, the financing options for a small business, such as a salon or restaurant were fairly straightforward, though not always easily accessed. A business would go to a bank or credit union and apply for a loan. If the application was denied, for most businesses there was only a limited range of secondary…

This article was originally published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in Community Investments, Winter 2014/2015 – Volume 26, Number 3 35. Notes from the Frontlines in the Small Business Finance Revolution: A Microlender’s View By Gwendy Brown and Eric Weaver Where do you go for your morning coffee? To get your car serviced? To…