This report analyzes data on 504 lending for the entire nation and for the Chicago metropolitan area to discern whether this SBA program is serving sound economic development purposes.

Finds that lending for home purchases throughout the Chicago area has increased dramatically in recent years, with loan volume up by 50 percent from 1990 to 1994. Loans to low- and moderate-income individuals increased at even higher rates than overall loans, increasingby 85 percent over the same period.

This Alert is a call to action for community organizations and others concerned about the impact of electronic funds transfer (EFT) on low-income households. It provides a summary of regulations proposed by the Treasury Department and recommendations on how they can be improved. An analysis of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) in Illinois demonstrates why currency exchanges should be prohibited from serving as EFT access points.

Describes how different parts of the Chicago area fared in different industrial sectors from 1991-1996, and determines whether job sprawl has slowed in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. Examines municipal-level employment changes within the region to identify relationships between suburban income and racial demographics and changes in employment levels. The report also lays out key policy implications, focusing on state and federal government.

This study finds that minorities and lower-income people who use these "fringe banks" pay higher prices for basic financial services. In addition to demonstrating the high costs charged by CEs, this Alert makes recommendations aimed at encouraging greater use of banks by these CE users, at reducing excessive fees charged by CEs, and at increasing consumer awareness of the relative costs of financial services.

(A Project by the Credit Union Foundation, Inc.) Documentation of the Vermont Development Credit Union's Affordable Mortgage Lending Program, a unique program which combines home purchase counseling with non-mortgage loan products to assist potential homebuyers become ready for a mortgage. The program can serve as a model for other lenders interested in affordable homeownership for lower-income families.

Uses new CRA data to analyze lending by 50 largest small business lenders in the Chicago area. Ranks lenders by their tendency to lend to lower-income areas and smaller firms in such areas.

Analyzes patterns of small business lending in Milwaukee, WI and discovers significant discrepancies in such lending by race and income of neighborhood.

Utilizing extensive data analysis, this alert shows how community development banks have grown in size and financial strength while at the same time serving their community development mission.

Examines home lending patterns in the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area. Identifies possible lending disparities and community credit needs. Highlights ways to improve access to affordable mortgage credit for low-and moderate-income community residents, particularly those in Benton Harbor. Includes recommendations for local planning and action.