Following a full year of steady improvement, small-business credit conditions stumbled during the first quarter of 2014.
Small-business credit conditions wrapped up the year by showing continued improvement for the fourth consecutive quarter.
The Experian/Moody's Analytics Small Business Credit Index tumbled in Q4 2012, falling 6.8 points to 97.3 from 104.1 in the previous quarter. This is the second consecutive quarterly decline and is the index's lowest reading since Q3 2011. The drop in the index was driven primarily by a rise in delinquent balances as a slowdown in personal income growth pulled retail sales lower.