There was no uptick in demand for most loans, and lending standards remained tight, in the first quarter according to survey results released Monday by the Federal Reserve.
The agency said results of its April 2026 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices (SLOOS) over the past three months (which, the Fed said, generally correspond to the year’s first quarter) showed unchanged demand for commercial and industrial (C&I) loans, and tighter lending standards, to firms of all sizes.
On the commercial real estate (CRE) side, the agency said, the SLOOS found mostly unchanged lending standards but weaker or unchanged demand. More specifically, in responses to questions about CRE lending, the survey found lending standards were mostly unchanged, although some banks were offering easier terms for almost all loan policies across CRE loan categories.
For residential real estate (RRE), the survey showed unchanged lending standards and unchanged or weaker demand for most categories. For home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), the SLOOS found similar unchanged lending standards, but an uptick on demand for the loans.
On the consumer side, the survey found demand weakened for credit card, auto, and other consumer loans. Tighter standards were reported by banks for other consumer loans, but those for credit cards and autos remained unchanged.
In a special question, the SLOOS queried banks about changes in lending standards and demand for nondepository financial institution (NDFI) loans over the past year. The survey found, on net, tighter standards and stronger demand across all NDFI loan categories.
The April 2026 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices
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