Warren Stephens, CEO of Stephens Inc. (a company that is an annual presenter at our Annual Meeting every year), discussed the impact of regs and rules out of Dodd-Frank and how they could impact access to credit in a recent WSJ op-ed.

“The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has restricted—and will further restrict in the future, I believe—credit availability to people on the lower end of the credit rankings. Without access to properly priced loans, these people will not be able to buy the goods they need and want. This lack of credit will further depress demand and production.”

Stephens discusses the importance of “middle market” private and public companies, and how they are key to rebuilding our economy. Companies like our very own CFSA Members are of the 100,000 in ‘Middle America’ and who contribute to the revenues between $25 million and $1 billion. And like Stephens says, as part of Middle America, our Members contribute to the 40 percent of the U.S. GDP and the 32 million jobs.