Each depositor insured to at least $250,000 per insured bank

FDIC Small Business Forum:  Issues Raised

Link to Video

Event Transcript - PDF (PDF Help)

Small Business Forum – Photo Essay

Small Business Lending

The FDIC is hosting a Forum, "Overcoming Obstacles to Small Business Lending," on January 13, 2011, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the L. William Seidman Center in Arlington, Virginia. The Forum will explore ways in which credit can be made more accessible to the small business sector. The FDIC recognizes that small businesses are critical to fueling the nation's economic growth, and their ability to generate new jobs depends, in large part, on access to credit.

The Forum will feature two panels consisting of thought leaders from the government and the private sector, with a moderator facilitating the panel discussions. Representatives from the small business sector will be invited to attend the Forum and submit questions in advance and during the discussions for the panelists' consideration. We hope the robust dialogue will result in workable and effective strategies that will benefit small businesses. The Forum will be webcast on the Internet and archived on the FDIC's Web site (www.fdic.gov) after the event.

We are accepting questions for this event via email. Send your questions to SmallBusinessLending@fdic.gov.

Agenda (as of January 4, 2011)

Opening Remarks
Congressman Spencer Bachus

Framing the Issues Panel
Each panelist will be asked to respond to questions submitted in advance and from the audience.

Moderator: Steve Liesman, CNBC

Sheila C. Bair, Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Mark R. Warner, U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia
Thomas D. Bell, Jr., Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Confronting the Obstacles Panel
Each panelist will be asked to identify issues he/she believes are constraining the availability of credit to small businesses and articulate ideas for overcoming these obstacles. Other panelists will have the opportunity to pose questions or offer their informed perspectives.

Moderator: John Harwood, CNBC

Don D. Graves, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Small Business
Steven J. Smits, Associate Administrator for Capital Access, Small Business Administration
M. Anthony Lowe, FDIC Regional Director for the Chicago Region
John D. Harrison, Superintendent, Alabama State Banking Department
Jorge C. Corralejo, Chairman of the Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles
William J. Dennis, Jr., Senior Research Fellow, National Federation of Independent Business
Rebeca Romero Rainey, Chairman and CEO, Centinel Bank of Taos
Kathleen P. Sowa, Senior Vice President, National Business Credit Executive, Bank of America

Closing Remarks
Karen Mills, Administrator for the Small Business Administration

Wrap-Up
John Harwood, CNBC