Increasing Equitable Access to Capital – The Small Business Case for Fair and Transparent Lending

Date: 
Thursday, March 19, 2026

Small businesses need access to fair, transparent capital to grow, but many—especially women- and minority-owned businesses—still face predatory and opaque lending practices. This fact sheet highlights key challenges in the small business lending market and outlines policy solutions to expand protections, improve transparency and ensure equitable access to responsible financing.