Revolving loan funds (RLF's) operate, in principle, by issuing new loans as old loans are repaid. Although best suited to increasing credit access for viable firms that lack alternative funding sources, many RLF's are assisting local businesses in need of capital but financially nonviable. Two...

The decline of the agriculture sector in the mid-1980s was concurrent with the increase of bank failures. Performance of banks specializing in agricultural lending mirrored sector performance. However, a subgroup of banks continued to lend to agriculture and maintained superior performance over...